Moldova
The archaeological and ecclesiastical complex at Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei), about 50km north of Chişinău, is an important historical site and a place of…
Must-see attractions in Moldova
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Moldova
The fantastic Tipova Cave Monastery is built into cliffs that tower some 200m above the Dniestr River's right (west) bank, in the tiny village of Tipova…
Moldova
This impressive Ottoman fortress, outside the centre near the Bendery–Tiraspol bridge, was built in the 16th century and saw keen fighting between Turkish…
Nativity of Christ Metropolitan Cathedral
Chişinău
The main highlight of the Parcul Catedralei is the city's main Moldovan Orthodox church, dating from the 1830s, with rich interior frescoes. The bell…
National Museum of Ethnography & Natural History
Chişinău
The highlight of this massive and wonderful exhibition is a life-sized reconstruction of the skeleton of a dinothere – an 8-tonne elephant-like mammal…
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Chişinău
Occupying one end of the Centre of Culture and Military History, this once-musty museum now hosts a moving exhibit on Soviet-era repression. Stories of…
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Chişinău
This is where Russia's national poet Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837) spent three years exiled between 1820 and 1823. You can view his tiny cottage, filled…
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National Archaeology & History Museum
Chişinău
This impressive museum contains artefacts from the region of Orheiul Vechi, including Golden Horde coins and 14th-century ceramics; a rare, 2000-year-old…
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Chişinău
Dab in the middle of Chişinău, this park is popular with families and canoodling teenagers on benches, and makes for great strolling. The highlight is the…
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Moldova
Since 1897 Kvint has been making some of Moldova's finest brandies. Book private tasting tours in English two days in advance (US$10 to US$70 per person,…
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Moldova
This gloriously solid behemoth on the Dniestr dates to the late 15th century and the reign of Moldavian Prince Ştefan cel Mare. It was built on the…
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Moldova
A stunning 70m bell tower marks this serene monastery (1861), 7km south of Tiraspol. You can climb the bell tower for a bird's-eye view of the monastery's…
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Moldova
The most impressive sight at Orheiul Vechi is the Cave Monastery, built inside a cliff high above the gently meandering Răut river. It is marked by a…
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Comrat Regional History Museum
Moldova
Aside from the usual range of Lenin statues, tanks and other Soviet time pieces, about the only sight in Comrat is this museum dedicated to Gagauz culture…
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Orheiul Vechi Exhibition Centre
Moldova
Near the bridge over the Răut River, this inconspicuous building houses a museum with objects recovered during archaeological digs around Orheiul Vechi,…
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Chişinău
A massive facelift was half-finished at the end of 2018, with the gorgeously restored main wing open to visitors. The focus is on contemporary Moldovan…
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Tiraspol National History Museum
Moldova
No period of Transdniestran history is ignored at this relatively interesting museum, starting with photos of late-19th-century Tiraspol, moving to the…
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Moldova
At the entrance to the city, just west of the Bendery–Tiraspol bridge, is a memorial park dedicated to local 1992 war victims. An eternal flame burns in…
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Chişinău
A landmark, the neoclassical National Library is worth popping into both to check out the beautiful interior with its spiral staircases, and for the free…
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Moldova
You can get fantastic views of the Dniestr and the perfectly partitioned fields of Ukraine beyond from this curious obelisk, which was erected in 2004 to…
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Grădina Publică Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfînt
Chişinău
Parcul Grădina Publică Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfînt is a first-rate people-watching area. Ştefan was Moldavia's greatest medieval prince and ubiquitous symbol…
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Moldova
At the western end of ul 25 Oktober, a Soviet armoured tank guards the War Memorial. Its centrepiece is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, flanked by an…
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Soroca Museum of History & Ethnography
Moldova
With its charming English-speaking curator, this tiny museum is a treat. Its six bright rooms cover archaeological finds, weapons, national clothing,…
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Chişinău
Chişinău's own Arc de Triomphe dates from 1841 and marks the centre of the city. It was built to commemorate the victory of the Russian army over the…
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Moldova
This attractive old house is where the organic chemist Nikolay Zelinsky, Soviet hero and inventor of a gas mask that saved countless lives during WWI,…
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Chişinău
Ştefan was Moldavia's greatest medieval prince and ubiquitous symbol of Moldova's brave past. His 1928 statue lords over the entrances to Parcul…
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Moldova
The home of the Transdniestran presidency and parliament, this foreboding building – watched over by a statue of Lenin looking not unlike an angel – makes…
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Chişinău
Government House, where cabinet meets, is the gargantuan building opposite the Arc de Triomphe. It's notable mainly for its heft and Soviet-style…
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Chişinău
Facing Grădina Publică Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfînt is Parliament House, where Parliament convenes.
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Moldova
The Stalinist Dom Sovetov with Lenin's angry-looking bust peering out from its prime location, is Tiraspol's City Hall.
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Chişinău
Near the train station is this unique monument to the victims of mass deportation under Stalin.
