If you do not have time to leave the capital for a long time, you can use our list of tourist attractions that are located in the area 50 km from Chisinau. In our article: monasteries, 19th century estates, stunning rural flavor and much more interesting things!
1. Capriana Monastery
In the picturesque Codri Forest, 40 km northwest of Chisinau, in the village of Capriana, there is one of the oldest monasteries in Moldova, founded in 1420. The first mention of the monastery dates back to the reign of the ruler Alexandru cel Bun (1400-1432). For a long time, the monastery was the residence of the Metropolitan of Moldova. The Capriana Monastery had the largest monastic library in Moldova.
It was closed in 1962, but was placed under state protection as a historical monument. Nevertheless, it was practically plundered. Many icons, a library and church utensils disappeared. Currently, the monastery has been practically restored, with the exception of the paintings of the old church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (1545). The new winter church of St. George (1903) was completely rebuilt and painted. The monastery is now open to visitors.
2. CRICOVA wine cellars
The Cricova Wine Factory, 12 km from Chisinau, is a must-see destination for all guests of Moldova. Founded in 1952, the Cricova Factory is the largest producer of sparkling wines using traditional Moldovan technology, the maturation of which takes place entirely in underground cellars.
The Cricova wine collection includes more than a million bottles – not only Moldovan wines, but also unique Spanish, Italian and French wines. It is said that the Cricova cellars contain wine from the collection of Hermann Goering, who arrived after the end of World War II. The oldest sample of wine dates back to 1902.
The total length of the Cricova underground galleries is over 60 km in limestone rocks with a constant temperature of about +12°C all year round and humidity of 97-98%. Ideal conditions for storing over 30,000,000 liters of fine wines.
Many say that the most impressive excursions are here – the so-called underground wine town has done its job. Several tourist packages are available here, which, in addition to visiting the underground vaults, include wine tasting, a snack menu and souvenirs.
3. Curchi Monastery
Located in the village of Curchi, 12 km from Orhei (about 50 km from Chisinau). Some researchers claim that the monastery was founded during the reign of Stephen the Great. In the documents, the monastery dates back to the time of the ruler Alexander Ghik, when the peasant Iordache Kurkiu founded a wooden hermitage. Between 1937 and 1938, a magnificent church was built in honor of St. Nicholas. During the Soviet era, the monastery became a psychiatric hospital and was reopened only in 1992.
Recently, the monastery was included in the list of UNESCO architectural monuments.
4. Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
The church is located in Orhei, 40 km north of Chisinau, on Vasile Mahu Street. The construction of the church began in 1904 and was completed in 1915. The church was built at the expense of Cesarina Dobrovolskaya, who owned an estate in the village of Braviceni.
During the Soviet era, the Roman Catholic church in Orhei was partially destroyed. The church was converted into a sports hall, and then into a warehouse. Thanks to the efforts of priest Klaus Kniffke, the church was returned to the small Catholic community of Orhei in 2005. In 2008, after reconstruction, the church was reopened.
5. Wildlife park Codrii
The Codrii Nature Reserve is the oldest scientific reserve in Moldova. Here, hilly forests are interspersed with valleys. The reserve is located near the village of Lozova, about 50 km from Chisinau. The territory of the reserve is a unique forest zone. In the south, west and north it is surrounded by agricultural land, in the northeast it borders the Straseni forest. The reserve was founded on September 27, 1971. Its area is 12,300 hectares.
6. Sergei Lazo Museum
Located in the village of Piatra, 7 km from Orhei (about 50 km from Chisinau). At the end of the 19th century, the village was owned by the wealthy Lazo family. The last landowners of this dynasty were Georgiy and Elena Lazo, the parents of the hero of the Russian Civil War Sergei Lazo.
During the Soviet era, the village of Piatra was renamed Lazo, in honor of Sergei Lazo. After Moldova gained independence, the village was given its old name again. The Lazo estate, which was completely in ruins, began its restoration in 2008. The exhibition halls include household items, furniture, photographs, books that belonged to the Lazo family.
7. Mimi Castle
Less than 30 minutes from Chisinau (30 km), in the village of Bulboaca, you will discover a breathtaking spectacle and enjoy a glass of good wine. Here stands Mimi Castle – the first real castle in the region, built in 1900 by the last governor of Bessarabia – Constantin Mimi, after whom it is named.
The castle was the first building in the country to be built of reinforced concrete, which was a novelty at the time, and its cellars could hold 300,000 liters of wine, stored in oak barrels. Over the years, the building was invaded by extensions and its beauty was marred by thick layers of plaster. Almost 100 years later, Château de Mimi became the property of a single family who began in 2010 the reconstruction of the winery, then of the castle, in order to preserve as faithfully as possible the authenticity and originality of the building. All the work, as it was 123 years ago, was carried out under the direction of an Italian architect.
Currently, Château Mimi is a multifunctional complex that includes a hotel, a museum, a conference hall, creative workshops and event rooms. In two tasting rooms and 6 cellars, you can taste Château Mimi wines and unique dishes from the on-site restaurant in an ideal atmosphere.
8. Memorial complex “Capul de Pod Şerpeni”
The famous memorial complex is located 50 kilometers from Chisinau. It was erected in honor of the memory of 12,000 Soviet soldiers who died on Moldovan soil in 1944. It was inaugurated on August 22, 2004, because the fiercest fighting took place right next to the village of Șerpeni.
The memorial consists of three main elements. On one side there is a stylized altar that adorns the marble vault. In the central part, under two high pylons connected at the top by a cross, an eternal flame burns. The bell tower rises above the picturesque banks of the Dniester. From the observation deck an extraordinarily beautiful view of the Dniester Valley, forests, meadows and fields opens up.
9. Mileștii Mici
22 km from Chisinau is the oldest storage place of “sacred drinks” in Moldova, founded in 1969. The streets of the underground wine city stretch over an area of 55 km. It has its own infrastructure, roads, traffic signs, traffic lights and wine rivers flowing through wine pipes, on the banks of which, instead of houses, there are huge bottles.
The “underground kingdom” houses the so-called “Golden Collection”, which includes 2 million bottles of wine from the 1986-1991 harvest and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The most valuable part of the collection is wines from the 1973-74 harvest (the cost of individual samples can reach 480 euros per bottle). These wines are exported only to Japan.
You can travel through the labyrinths of the vaults’ basements by car – special transportation is provided in the tunnels. But it is much more interesting to walk along the streets “Cabernet”, “Aligote”, “Feteasca”, to contemplate the brutal vaults made of shells, the huge oak bottles exuding the wonderful aroma of wine, the old lamps and the springs gushing from the thickness of the rock.
10. Zoo Club
If you want to join the world of wildlife and those who inhabit it, then welcome to the Zoo Club mini-zoo. It is located just 13 km from Chisinau, in the village of Bardar. In the familiar Moldovan landscape, you can meet exotic animals and unusual birds from all over the world. It all started in the 1990s, when Igor Balzhikov, a specialist in breeding by profession, began breeding birds, not only ordinary birds, but also exotic ones. In 1992, an entrepreneur brought ostriches to Moldova – no one here had ever seen anything like it.
Gradually, the collection began to be replenished with other species of birds and animals. Over time, the farm became a place where children and adults can touch the animals: ride ponies, feed peacocks and swans. Here you can see and even touch the world’s largest African ostrich (150 kg) and the world’s smallest quail (100 g). Raccoons, horses, mini-goats, sheep, pigs, alpacas (they are the brothers of llamas), wild rabbits, kangaroos and deer also live here. The farm is constantly replenished with new inhabitants.
If you are interested in visiting one of these destinations, contact us.
Source: locals.md
