If history, religion, literature and a great glass of wine are amongst the subjects that get your pulse rate up and put a stride in your pace, then Moldova should be high on your list of holiday destinations. Visitors to this country are sure to come away, both physically, spiritually and intellectually invigorated. Here is an overview of the 10 best tourist attractions in Moldova:
10. Tipova Monastery
flickr/Klame Sergey
Located in a fairly remote corner of Moldova on the western banks of the Dniestr River, this monastery is actually dug out of the rocks here and consists of 3 main complexes. The first named The Church of The Feast of the Holy Cross is believed to be the oldest dating from the 11th century, while the second complex – The Church of St Nicholas – was carved out of the rock during the 14th and 15th centuries, and the more recent third complex from the 16th to 18th centuries. It is thought that the complexes may have originally served as a refuge place for Christians trying to hide from the Tartars during their invasion in the 13th century.
Set as it is, by the banks of rivers, the whole area is one of great natural beauty, with scenic waterfalls on the Tipova River adding to the peaceful and reflective atmosphere. One of Moldova’s great rulers Stefan Cel Mare (better known to us as Stephen the Great) who lived from 1457-1504 was married to one of his wives here and it is also believed that both she and the famous Greek mythological poet Orpheus are buried here. An interesting place for a day out – it is recommended you hire private transport since by public transport (bus) it will take almost a full day to get there.
9. The Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity
flickr/phespirit
The Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity is located in central Chişinău – the capital city of Moldova, and is the main cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in Moldova. Built in 1836 by architect Abraham Melnikov, it was commissioned in 1830 by the governor of New Russia at that time Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov and Metropolitan Gavril Bănulescu.
The main church bell-tower was destroyed by bombing during the Second World War and was rebuilt in 1997, but restoration to the interior of this cathedral is still underway. The church is built of stone and brick and has three main altars – the central devoted to Christmas, with the patron Saint Martyr Nikita to the right and Saint John the New to the left. It is situated in Cathedral Park, near the Holy Gates and Stephen the Great Boulevard.
8. Pushkin Museum
flickr/phespirit
If European art and literature are your ‘thing’ then a trip to the Pushkin Museum or A.S Pushkin’s House as it is otherwise known, will be literally right up your street! This house which was converted into a museum during the 1940’s, is where the now- celebrated Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin (1799–1837) lived in the autumn of 1820, after being expelled from Russia.
Now considered by many of his modern-day compatriots as the greatest Russian writer ever, this venue displays many of his works. The museum, which started off small with only 300 exhibits, has grown considerably and now houses well over 30,000 examples of other Russian and European art within its walls. So for all artwork and literature of an Eastern European flavour, this is a must-see venue.
7. National History Museum of Moldova
flickr/loose-ends
If History plays a major part in your life, then this Moldovan attraction should be top of your list. The national History Museum of Moldova in central Chişinău is one of the most significant museums in this region and with good reason. The museum has three beautiful exhibition rooms respectively called The Red Room, The Bronze Room and The Blue Room. It also contains an Archaeological Collection of 17,376 items, obtained from excavations, donations and individual ‘finds’ which date back through history to the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age, the Roman Era and Pre-Feudal Periods and culminating in The Middle Ages.
The museum has permanent exhibitions relating to the evolution of pre-historic man and The Compartment of Spiritual Culture, and currently has temporary exhibits relating to the Evolution of Weapons and Military Equipment throughout the centuries, and Silverware in the Secular and Religious Environments (18th – 20th Centuries). Not to be missed at this museum is a huge piece of art – the Diorama of the Iasi- Chişinău Operation which is a massive canvas painting 45 metres by 11 metres high, depicting a battle which took place near the Moldovan village of Leuseni on the Prut River in the summer of 1944. Painted by artists Nikolay Prisekin and Alexy Senyenov it has to be seen to really be appreciated, for the eight years of hard work it took to complete.
6. Manastirea Curchi
flickr/adrian petrascu
Yet another ‘cave’ monastery with an associated church (the Church of St Nicholas) but this one is in a beautiful garden and lake setting. The church has been largely refurbished as the buildings were used for non-religious reasons during Moldova’s integration into the former Soviet-Union. Now re-vitalised and with the interior brought back to its former glory, the Manastirea Curchi is located about 45 minutes North of Chişinău on a scenic route past blue painted houses, near to Orhei town. If you go by car, then why not park your vehicle on the infamous ‘magnetic hill’. If you leave it in gear with the brake off, it will start to slowly move…uphill! A miracle? Or just a quirk of Nature? You decide.
5. Cricova Winery (Weinkombinat Cricova)
flickr/Em and Ernie
If you know your Hock from your Reisling and your Sauvignon Blanc from your Cabernet Sauvignon then the Cricova Winery will offer you ‘grape expectations!’ This is the second largest underground winery in the world with underground tunnels set over 100 metres below ground level and stretching for a mind-boggling 125 kilometres. The winery houses over 1.25 million bottles of rare wine (now that would be some party!) and is just 15 kilometres north of the Moldovan capital of Chişinău – which coincidentally – was built using the limestone rock quarried from these very same tunnels.
Since the largest underground winery in the world is also in Moldova (see the number one attraction on this list) why not say “cheers!” and visit both? Crikova’s claim to fame however, is because it is one of few wineries in the world today that make sparkling wine according to the traditional methods of French monk Dom Pierre Perignon – the ‘methode Champenoise’ (Champagne method). Indeed Cricova makes a unique sparkling red wine called Kodrinskoie-sparkling which is made from Cabernet-sauvignon stocks and has a rich velvety texture, and blackcurrant and cherry taste. Why not pick up a bottle or two?
4. Old Orhei Archaeological Complex
flickr/whl.travel
The Old Orhei Archaeological Complex is located about 60 kilometres northeast of the capital at Trebujeni and is a site that combines both the natural landscape and ancient history. Located on the bends and meanders of a tributary of the Dniestr River, the River Răut, this area contains traces of many ancient civilizations and dates back to the 6th to the 1st century’s BC when a Geto-Dacian fortress was built here.
The natural erosion caused by the river’s snaking meandering path has resulted in many layers of rock being worn away and offering viewers a ‘slice’ of mankind’s history. Cultural artifacts from the Paleolithic, Eneolithic and Iron Ages have all been discovered here during the course of numerous extensive archaeological excavations. History is in the air here and also in the earth!
3. The Museum of Ethnography and Natural History
This is the oldest and most visited museum in Moldova and gets in excess of 50,000 visitors per year. The focus of this museum is the environment and the natural world, and this fascinating museum contains a plethora of information relating to topographical formation of the soil and rock structures, the flora and many of the animals that have lived and become extinct in the area now known as Moldova.
See the skeleton of a cave bear – found in 1963 in a cave – which dates back to the Pleistocene period (after the ice-age) or if dinosaurs are what you enjoy, then check out the Dinothere (from the Greek, meaning ‘monstrous beast’) which stands an impressive 5m tall and probably weighed in at some 6 tons. The museum also offers visitors the chance to learn about the history, culture, language and day to day life of the Moldovan people.
2. Chișinău Botanical Garden
This site which originally covered some 76 hectares in Chişinău was founded in 1950 by the Russian Academy of Science and now contains some ten thousand or so plant species within its gardens. Originally in an area on the valley floor of the Durlesti River, there were some problems with the site and it was moved to the south-east of Chişinău to the Botanica district – a larger area which now covers 104 hectares. Beautiful plants, each with their name and species marked are set in beautifully landscaped parkland with a lake – providing an oasis of calm and tranquility in which to take a walk, a nap, or just enjoy the scenery. Since over 120,000 native Moldovans visit it each year, you can take it as said that this spot is well worth a stop-over.
1. Milestii Mici
flickr/alex.spatari
If you’ve read this far, then you already know Milestii Mici’s major claim to fame – for this village 20 kilometres to the south of Chişinău is, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the site of the world’s largest underground winery – with road-like tunnels that extend under the Moldovan streets above, for over 250 kilometres, of which over 120 kilometres are still in use today! The tunnels are 40 to 85 metres deep underground and each ‘street’ or tunnel is named after a grape or wine type. You can actually tour this ‘wine city’ in your own car – should you choose to! Having completed the tour, why not stop in the tasting room and savour the wines with some traditional Moldovan fayre?
The winery has what is known as ‘The Golden Collection’ – a collection of over 2 million bottles of wine. However, while the world’s largest winery should be reason enough to visit Milestii Mici, for those that aren’t interested in the noble grape whatsoever, there is still yet another reason you should pay a visit this area – for Milestii Mici is also the site of an ancient village of the same name, archaeological excavations have found artifacts and remains from several time periods beginning with the 10th and 11th centuries AD. So take your choice – either way, Milestii Mici offers the very best of all things Moldovan.
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