The beginning of September brings us more sun and warmth. As long as the rains don’t start and the days don’t turn cold, it’s time to escape from home and discover other interesting places in Moldova.
Moldova Travel recommends that you visit Soroca and discover the landscapes of the banks of the Dniester, the century-old forests, the ancient caves and the traditions of the Roma.
1. The Racovaț River Bridge – it is said that it was once the entrance to the Soroca Fair
2. Soroca Fortress – one of the most famous historical monuments in Moldova. Initially, the building was built of wood and had a defensive role. The first documentary evidence dates from 1499 and after 1543 the monument was rebuilt in stone.
3. Gypsy Hill
The gypsy quarter of Soroca hill is particularly popular among foreign tourists who come to Soroca. They are fascinated by the palaces built here and by their tenants, who have become more and more open to tourists in recent years. The gypsy quarter is unique, especially since the history of this ethnic group is linked to the legendary tents with which they traveled the world. And here in Soroca, in place of the traditional tents, different castles have been erected, some beautiful, some kitsch, but all equally impressive. Also on the Soroca Gypsy Hill you can admire copies of famous buildings such as the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican or the Capitol in Washington. For a few lei, although any popular currency is acceptable, gypsy women will read your future in your palm or find out what the cards predict about your fate.
4. The Museum of History and Ethnography of Soroca
This institution interests both locals and guests of Soroca. The Museum of History and Ethnography of Soroca hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions, with collectibles, photographs and other original works from other museums in the republic. The core exhibition is made up of hundreds of objects, some of which hide unique stories told by the museum’s collaborators, such as the scouring pad, the straw basket of Băxani, the mill, the wine press of Cozma Pșeninicnii from Şeptelici and many others.
5. The Candle of Gratitude
On March 27, 2004, in Soroca, the Cultural Tourist Complex “Candle of Recognition” was inaugurated. Initially, the monument was to be called “Badea Mior”, the idea proposed by the writer Ion Druță, a native of Soroca. This tourist attraction with a height of almost 30 meters was built based on the project of architect Ion Pascal. What attracts most is the place itself, from which a magnificent panorama of Soroca and the surrounding landscape opens.
6. Rudi Monastery
At the exit of the village Rudi, a country road takes you through the middle of the forest, to the place where a hermitage was built more than two centuries ago. And the closer we get to Rudi Monastery, the more we discover a different world from the one we are used to. Here, everything is shrouded in silence, and only the birds of the forest remind us with their song that we are in nature. The monastery was founded during the reign of ruler Grigore Ghica Vodă, with the kindness of brothers Teodor and Andronache Rudea (Rudi). The stone church dedicated to the Holy Trinity is the only building preserved since its foundation and was built between 1770 and 1777, in the old Moldavian style.
7. The Cave of the Dead
Under the village cemetery of Rudi lies the “Cave of the Dead”, a cave of natural origin with a length of approximately 75 meters. The cave was carved out of Sarmatian limestone by water, and villagers believe it is much longer and could reach the Dniester. To explore the cave under the village cemetery, take a flashlight with you, as the light from cell phones is too dim to explore the cave. The entrance is to the left of the cemetery, in an alley that you just have to walk or kneel through. For those who suffer from claustrophobia or have back pain, we do not recommend going too deep, especially since in some areas you can only walk by bending over. The “Cave of the Dead” received this strange name because it was dug under the tombs and is a good training place for those who want to explore more difficult caves, such as the “Cave of Surprises” or the “Cave of the Dead” Emil Racovița”.
8. The geodetic arc of Struve is a network composed of 34 observation points extending over a distance of 2820 kilometers. In the Soroca district, the arch is located in an orchard, next to the road to Otaci. It is the only monument in the country listed as a UNESCO heritage site.
9. Maramures Wooden Church
The wooden church of Soroca is unique in its kind in this region, because it is built in the style of Maramureş. The holy place dedicated to the “Saints Martyrs Brâncoveni” is located near the Dniester and was given to the inhabitants of Soroca by the rulers of Romania. The church was built between 2011 and 2012, is 25 meters high and covered with wooden shingles. The place belongs to the Metropolis of Bessarabia and is not only a spiritual but also a cultural center, the parishioners gather there both on days of service and on religious and national holidays.
10. Bashir’s cave
On the serpentine at the entrance to the municipality of Soroca, from Chisinau, on the white wall you can see a very old Christian church with a special history. It is believed to be over a millennium old and dates back to when altars faced north. Inside, there are still traces of the chalk-carved iconostasis, which has been vandalized in recent decades by visitors. It acquired the name Bechir much later, when a man took refuge there and who, if local legends are to be believed, bore this name.
If you want to visit one of these wonders of Soroca, do not hesitate to contact us.