Must-see attractions in Moldova

  • Cave monastery in the historical temple complex of old Orhei (Orheiul Vechi), Moldova, Europe

    Orheiul Vechi

    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…

  • Tipova Cave Monastery

    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…

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    Bendery Fortress

    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…

  • Soroca Fortress

    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…

  • Cave Monastery

    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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    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…

  • Army Museum

    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…

  • 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…

  • Parcul Catedralei

    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…

  • Noul Neamţ Monastery

    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…

  • National Art Museum

    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…

  • Candle of Gratitude

    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…

  • Pushkin Museum

    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…

  • Kvint Factory

    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,…

  • 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,…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • National Library

    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…

  • 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,…

  • Arc de Triomphe

    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…

  • Zelinsky House-Museum

    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,…

  • Statue of Ştefan cel Mare

    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…

  • Repression Memorial

    Chişinău

    Near the train station is this unique monument to the victims of mass deportation under Stalin.

  • Memorial Park

    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…

  • War Memorial

    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…

  • Presidential Palace

    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…

  • Government House

    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…

  • Parliament House

    Chişinău

    Facing Grădina Publică Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfînt is Parliament House, where Parliament convenes.

  • House of Soviets

    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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