An Enchanted Night at Pena: The Artist King’s Visit

When night settles over the hills and the National Palace of Pena glows like a romantic beacon above Sintra, a doorway opens onto an older time, where fantasy and history brush against one another.

It is in this rare moment that Saint Nicholas – the figure who inspired Father Christmas, here embodied by Ferdinand II himself – welcomes a small group of visitors for an intimate and luminous journey.

Ferdinand II, the creator of this site that becomes all the more magical at this time of year, adored Christmas. During the years when he reigned with Maria II, Christmas Eve was lived in a very special way by the Royal Family. The Artist-King, as he is also known, would dress as Saint Nicholas, sling a sack over his shoulder, and distribute gifts to the young princes, much to their delight.

The experience begins with the king’s helper, who guides participants through the palace’s halls and chambers, revealing stories, details and secrets that only come to life at night, when the light softens and silence wraps itself around each corridor.

The route culminates in the king’s private rooms, where Saint Nicholas – Ferdinand II in disguise – awaits to share how he is preparing Christmas for his children. It is a moment of closeness, care and imagination, in which Saint Nicholas does not appear as a distant figure, but as a warm host who opens the palace to those who visit.

Later, in the Great Hall, the magic intensifies and surprises unfold, in an atmosphere that blends European tradition, childhood fantasy and the romantic character of Pena.

Finally, a comforting touch worthy of the great Christmas tales: hot chocolate and biscuits, served as the helper accompanies visitors through the quiet rooms of the palace, now softly illuminated for this singular moment.

It is a rare experience, created for the few, lived in the heart of one of the most magical palaces in the world. A Christmas told from within the walls of Pena, where memory becomes light and light, once again, becomes memory.