Approximately an hour from Chișinău, in the village of Răciula, Călărași District, there is a place where beekeeping goes far beyond jars of honey. Casa Mierii (The House of Honey) is a family-run homestead, a living beekeeping museum and a rural tourism experience where visitors can discover, observe and taste the fascinating world of bees.
For Constantin Stegărescu, his connection with this world began in childhood. “I was born among bees,” he says, with a sense of humour and a dedication that can be felt in every detail of the place. The family’s beekeeping tradition, practised over several decades, gradually evolved into an authentic tourism project, driven by a very practical idea: bringing visitors closer to the producer and offering them the opportunity to discover and enjoy beekeeping products right at their source.
That is how Casa Mierii came into being: a place where guests do not simply buy honey, but discover how a bee colony lives, what products it produces and how much work goes into every jar.
A Window into the World of Bees
The main attraction of the homestead is a beehive with glass walls. Through it, visitors can safely observe the bees at work without disturbing the colony’s natural rhythm. It is an experience that turns an ordinary visit into a living lesson about nature, organisation and patience.
At Casa Mierii, sharing knowledge is just as important as tasting the products. The hosts make a point of explaining the life of bees, the products collected from the hive and the differences between them in a way that every guest can understand. This direct connection between producer and visitor is precisely what gives the place its charm: it is not a traditional, impersonal museum, but a family homestead where every question can find an answer.
Quality Is Never Left to Chance
For the Stegărescu family, good honey must be rich, properly ripened and matured. Quality is not simply a matter of raw ingredients; it also depends on respecting every stage of the preparation process.
The same principle applies to products made by combining honey with other ingredients. Walnuts, pumpkin seeds and other additions are not simply mixed in, but carefully prepared according to a specific process involving drying and selection.
The homestead produces not only different varieties of honey, but also mead, ointments, tinctures, ear candles and other less commonly encountered beekeeping products.
“Every product is collected with love,” emphasises Constantin Stegărescu. That care is reflected in the way the products are presented and in the invitation to take the time to discover them.
Mead and Balsamic Liqueur: Flavours That Carry Memories
Among the experiences that attract visitors are mead — the traditional drink associated with beekeeping — and balsamic liqueur, prepared according to a family recipe passed down from one generation to the next.
The liqueur brings together the flavours of the orchard: strawberries, sour cherries, sweet cherries and blackcurrants, combined with honey and blended with a honey-based grape spirit. Its essential ingredient is patience: the drink is matured for at least five years in oak barrels. Without this resting period, the host explains, it simply would not be the same product.
The local tasting experience also includes the so-called “enchanted rose pie”, a distinctive speciality that naturally complements the culinary story of the place and demonstrates how tradition can be reinterpreted with creativity and character.
A Destination on the Route of Authentic Flavours
Casa Mierii is part of the Romania–Republic of Moldova Cross-Border Gastronomic Route, an initiative that brings greater visibility to local producers and creates connections between family businesses, traditional flavours and communities.
For Răciula, being part of this route means more than promotion. It is an opportunity to show that every village can have its own product, story and experience worth discovering. For international visitors, it offers the chance to taste something they cannot find just anywhere: local products with a history, presented by the very people who make them.
Casa Mierii in Răciula is also included in Guide Moldova, the official tourist guide of the Republic of Moldova, as an authentic rural, gastronomic and educational tourism experience. It is an ideal stop for families, groups of friends, curious travellers and anyone who wants to discover Moldova beyond the usual tourist routes.
In Răciula, honey is more than just a product. It is the result of quiet dedication, a family tradition and a heartfelt invitation: to step into the world of bees and leave with a sweet story to remember.