Anybody can say what he wants about this city. I celebrated the New Year here, so it must have been something. I typically take vacation during Christmas and New Year, and I didn’t plan anything for this year. Moldova happened to be one of a few countries left where I could make a spontaneous trip. You might have a bit of a problem finding your way in the city because not many people (including young ones) speak English here. Almost all Moldovans are bilingual in Russian and Moldovan; the latter is similar to Romanian.
Unlike all my previous trips to other capital cities in Europe where I did a lot of exploration, this time, I didn’t explore Chisinau at all. It was cold as hell when I was there. My boots broke on the way, exposed my toes and soaked in water. I had to do a lot of window sightseeing, viewing the city and its people from the window of my bus going to other the surrounding villages and cities or on my walk from the city center to the central station. During the few days in Moldova, I visited Old Vecchi, the winery at Cojusna, and Capriana monastery and of course spent the New Year eve at a Russian bar called Oxy.
Things to see in Chisinau
– The city’s main street, Stefan Cel Mare (Stefan the Great) Boulevard, has changed name numerous times reflecting the political landscape at that point. It was called Moscow street in the 19th century, Alexandrovskaya until 1924 as in Tsar Alexander of Russia and Alexandru cel Bun (after an old Moldovan Lord) from 1924-1944. In 1931, part of the street was split and named after a king. During the years Moldova belonged to the Soviet Union, the street changed its name to Lenin. A stroll along this street will take you to many popular sights.
– Stefan Cel Mare Monument, Holly gate, Botanical Park, the Orthodox Cathedral, the government house, the market at Piata Centrala, near the central bus station.
– Jewish cemetery in Buiucani, the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe.
– Parcul (Lake) Valea Morilor – you can swim and rent a boat to cruise around.
– Parcul Aluneiul – located near a former Soviet theme park and has a door-less house and a memorial to the pogroms in Chisinau in the early 20th Century.
– Milestii Mici – Guinness World Records in 2005, the biggest wine collection in the world.
– The national history museum, the museum of fine arts, and Pushkin Museum.
– Buy lots of wine to bring home. Moldovan wine brand is not as famous as France or Italy, yet Moldova is known for producing high-quality wines.
Traveling by bus and marshrutka (combi bus, shared, routed or maxi taxi) are so cheap here, you might as well spoil yourself and use them freely whenever you wish. A single ride costs 0.25 cent. Marshrutka is a common and cheap way to travel to tourist’s destinations outside Chisinau. Chisinau is well-connected by buses and trains to rest of Europe.
Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe; thus compared to other European capitals, Chisinau is dirt cheap. Transportation and accommodation are cheap too; however, clothing and other goods are somewhat expensive.
Accommodation
Transportation
Food
If you’re looking for a local tour guide in Chisinau, contact Svetlana. The woman knows everything a backpacker needs on his/her visit to this city. She gave me instructions how to visit Orhei Vechi and Capriana monastery on my own using the local marshrutka. I wasn’t able to get this information online and guidebooks before my trip.
Old Orhei, the territory between Butucheni and Trebujeni villages, is a top tourist attraction in Moldova. All the pictures that you’ve found online, including mine, do this place no justice. You have to see this region with your own eyes.
– 2 to 3 hours walking to the Caved Monastery at Butuceni, that was carved into a limestone cliff, and see the view from above. The monastery is situated on top of a hill looking over the river Raut and the entire village of Butuceni. The caves were dug by Orthodox monks in the 13th century and abandoned until the 18th century. Some monks returned in the mid-90s to restore the caves and live there. I was able to enter the monastery on the top level but couldn’t figure out a way to get into the caves.
– Another two hours to see two ethnographic museums in Butuceni.
– You can drive or hitchhike to Trebuceni and Ivancea. I guess that you can walk to Ivancea in the summer when the weather isn’t so cold.
The monastery, one of the oldest in Moldova, was built in the 15th century under the influence of Medieval and traditional Moldovan styles. Legend had it that the King Stefan cel Mare (Stefan the Great) shot and killed a deer at the spot where the monastery is situated. Perhaps, he felt remorse after the killing and named the monastery after the animal. (deer = c?prioar? in Romania)
You will already see the monastery from the bus stop when you arrive although you will have to walk further through small meandering village roads. I was here during the year end. It was cold so, and people stayed inside their houses to prepare for the New Year. There was no tourist at this time of year. I was the only stranger, sometimes the only person on the street, and greeted with snow, wide open white space and complete silence.
There is a restaurant right across an open field from the monastery. I was in a hurried to catch the next minibus to Cojusna to see the winery. Otherwise, I would have lingered here and tried local food while looking over the snow-capped monastery.
Minibusses come to Capriana from Chisinau every morning. A one-way ticket costs 15 lei / <€1. It takes about 45 minutes to get there from Chisinau (40 km northwest of Chisinau).
If you don’t have a car and can’t get anyone to ride you to the famous Cricova winery, you can try the less flamboyant Cojusna winery instead. Cojusna is on the highway from Chisinau to Capriana so you can combine the trip to Capriana monastery and Cojusna winery in one day.
You can hop out of the bus from either direction. From Chisinau, you get off on the 2nd sign, and from the Capriana, the 1st sign, the one with a small white-washed Jesus statue. Continue to walk 2 km until you arrive at an old rusty looking factory.
Attention: While you might be able just to show up and book a tour for yourself right at the spot especially during tourist season in the summer, I highly suggest you call in advance during the off-season. I showed up unannounced on the 30th of December and met an old guard who didn’t speak any English, neither anyone else in the village. I had to call a Russian friend from home to talk to the guy. The tour people already left on their Christmas-New Year holiday, and the next available tour was on January 2nd.
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Photos of Cojusna
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Which country is responsible for O-zone’s Dragostea din tei, one of the gayest, most outrageous dance songs ever come out from Europe? Some say it’s from Romania. Well, technically, all the band members are Moldovans from Chisinau.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGLMALvtjBc
Americans may have known it through the Numa numa boy
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmtzQCSh6xk
The culprit hit which brought O-zone into the limelight
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIjWoq9TMdo
My name is Cindy, also rhymes with travel junkie. A friend said I was probably a gipsy in my previous life. One of my many secret missions in life is to convert you to run off every once in awhile.
