Moldova – Chisinau

A little bit about Chisinau before we go exploring

Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, with a total urban population of around 700,000 is also, by far, the biggest city in the country and is its financial, commercial, industrial and political centre.

As a country Moldova has experienced a steady decline in population of around 1 million people since 1992. The country’s population now is around 3.5 million. The decline has been largely due to emigration to other countries in search of employment. Yep, that makes Moldova one of, if not the, poorest nations in Europe.

Where does the city’s name come from?

Good question, as its fairly uncertain – I’ll give you the two versions and you can chose for yourself.

So, the most popular line of thought is that it is a combination of two old Romanian words. Just outside the centre of the city near the Bic River there used to be a water source. The word “Chisla” (spring water) and “noua” (new) have been combined, thus Chislanoua, (Chisinau). I guess that means it was called “Newspring” in English. Sounds convincing, doesn’t it?

If you want to see the exact place then head to the corner of Pushkin and Albisoara Streets next to the river, just to the north east of the city centre.

The other theory is that it is formed from the two words “kis” (small) and” jeno” (name of an old Hungarian Tribe in the region). Personally, I prefer the former explanation as it feels more realistic.

When I first saw its name, I pronounced it” Chis-in-nor”, (Ch as in chips), as that is how the spelling looked to be pronounced by me and got a few strange looks.

I had to ask the hotel receptionist if I was pronouncing it incorrectly, and he confirmed I was. He then pronounced it for me and I realised the difference. How embarrassing!

So, the correct way to pronounce it is like, “Keeshy-now” as one word.

Chisinau through time

Like many other places around here, the city, over the centuries came under the influences of several warring factions. It has been held by Moldovans, Russian Tsars, Romanians, Russian Soviet Union, Nazis and even partially run by the Ottomans.

Each one left a little bit of its architecture., language, influence and culture on the city that remains today.

I’m not going to do a blow-by-blow historical account (and with so many wars the city was involved in that may seem an appropriate anachronism). So here’s the synopsis.

It first appeared as just a monastery village in 1430 in a Principality that even in those days was called Moldovia. Remember that name as it disappears and reappears constantly over time in an attempt to get its name back.

In the 16^th Century it came under the influence, as an autonomous area of the Turkish Ottoman Empire and benefitted from its protection. By the time it left that protection, being given to the Russian Empire in 1812 as part of the peace treaty after the war between them, it was a fledging city of around 7.000 people.

The Russian wasted no time in bolstering the city, creating it as a regional capital of a newly formed area called Bessarabia. That name still hangs around even today in some forms. They hugely modernised it with a grid pattern layout built beside the Old Town area. That road structure still remains today and is integral to its design.

By 1834 the New Town area had a new Cathedral, Triumphal arch, state buildings a train station and wide avenues – they all still survive today and this was the Russian Empire influence on the city we see now. It was now quite the elegant, well planned and leading city of the region.

The photo below shows the Triumphal Arch and Cathedral in the park setting.

A little talked about fact was that the city experienced a large Jewish immigration drive over this period. Mainly fleeing from the more anti-Semitic pure Russia further north, by 1897, nearly half the city’s population of around 110.000 were Jewish.

It is not known today as having a high Jewish population – the Jewish community is only about 2% today – but I’m sure  you will have guessed why, if you know the history of this area later in time.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 encouraged the area to break away from the old Russian Empire and Bessarabia declared itself independent as the Moldavian Democratic Republic – there’s that title again. However, it lasted a year as it requested help from the Romanian govt when Bolshevik Russia wanted it back. The Romanians stopped the invasion but ultimately then arranged to cede the country into a region of Romania … oh well, they tried.

Ceding to Romania did however mean that Chisinau was now the second biggest city in Romania and thus received huge infrastructure and development. Universities were built, statues were erected (the Stephen the Great one still here being the epitome of that), parks built – (yep the Stephen the Great Park was one) and city admin buildings and stores erected. The city prospered enormously.

Romanian is the official language of Moldova (Russian is a minority language but widely spoken along the Ukrainian border), so I guess that is another major influence Romania had on Chisinau and the country.

If you remember your history Stalin and Hitler made a secret pact between themselves on who should have eventual control of what countries near their borders. When Germany invaded Poland and started WW2 Russia was then unchallenged when it took over Moldova.

The horrors of WW2 rose its ugly head in Chisinau. Stalin ordered the mass murder and deportations of tens of thousands of democrats and political repression reigned in the city.

Germany launched an attack on Chisinau and the city suffered immense destruction. I guess much of what we see today from previous times must have been rebuilt.

When the Germans captured the city – you guessed right – they deported over 10.000 Jews immediately to the outskirts of the city and summarily killed them in huge pits. Thousands more died later and the rest were herded into a ghetto area of the city and many more died there. A memorial to the Jewish extermination now stands on Jerusalem Street near to where the ghetto gates were set up.

In 1944 the Russians bombarded what was left of the city and retook it. It is a wonder anything is left today to see!

Yet another mass deportation and repression of a similar style but by new liberators started

Why does much of the city look like leftovers of the 1950-60s?

From the 1950’s, the city was reconstructed in immense waves over the next 20 something years. So much so, that it is estimated that 75% of present-day Chisinau buildings were built between 1950-91.

Those bland, concrete, tall buildings are still a scar on the landscape today, but hey …… the city was destroyed and needed homes, even if they were cheap and nasty. The govt buildings portray that look exactly.

If you take the ground zero position they started with in the 1950’s and realise that it is now the poorest nation in Europe, you can appreciate how they are working with what they have got.

Having said that, every now and again you come across something like this that shows how they are trying to be creative and beautify the city little by little.

Moldova, along with many other former Soviet States declared its independence in 1991 and is now a fledging democracy with aspirations towards joining the EU and looking towards Western Europe for influence.

There is a still a Russian leaning autonomous area within the country however – Transnistria – that claims itself as an independent state. It is not recognised by any other nation though, but supported by Russia, obviously.

Where to stay in Chisinau

Chisinau is so walkable that unless you chose some hotel way out of the centre you will have no problem getting around. If you do for some reason stay way out of the city, just remember there is no Metro or suburban train lines here. Buses are plentiful but unless you know the routes and stops (not obvious or published) you will have a task ahead of you to work it out. Taxis are available and not expensive but you will be using them at least twice a day, so factor in those costs

I would say that if you base yourself anywhere within a 15 mins walk of Cathedral Park you will be fine. Even better, if you can place yourself to the west of Stefan cel Mare si sfant Boulevard, you will be even better placed. This long, long, wide Boulevard cuts right through the centre of the city in a northwest to south east direction and most of the attractions are on the western side of the Boulevard.

The Radisson Hotel lies just off this and is the best hotel in town but you pay highly for that distinction.

Where I stayed in Chisinau

As always, I did a fair amount of research on hotels and there were quite a few good priced and high grade 4 star hotels in the centre (there are only a couple of 5 star hotels in Chisinau).

The hotel I found at first surprised me. It had a French name and was called a Villa. The photos looked great and many reviews praised it. It was near the centre, just west of the main Boulevard I mentioned, near several evening places to eat and seemed to be in a quiet area.

They booked my taxi to and from the airport for me, very professionally.

On arrival I was taken by the taxi driver through an entrance then immediately up a big spiral staircase as the reception is on the first floor. I later found out that it is a family hotel and they all live on the ground floor.

The Mon Ami Villa  (click here for Expedia link) was an excellent choice. Reception spoke excellent English and were very helpful in any advice I needed.

The room was very large ,modern, clean and stylish and I even had a separate lounge/TV room with a comfy sofa. The work area was huge with a long wall bench/desk that meant I could spread my laptop, tablet and wires out and still have space. The bathroom was probably one of the biggest I had seen in a while, modern and clean with plentiful towels and huge mirrors.

I settled in for the night as it was a late arrival and unpacked. The only downside was that I noticed the tea/coffee tray and shower gel had not been refilled from the previous guest but a call to reception and someone was there within a minute. They arranged plentiful more of everything that I would need and were politely apologetic.

I don’t mind there being an odd mistake eg on the refills as we are all human and whilst it shouldn’t be missed off these things annoyingly happen. For me it is more about how they deal with the issue. This issue was dealt with instantly, acknowledging their mistake and apologising and compensating me with extra of everything rather than just refill with the customary two of each. That was extra points for their recovery.

Wifi was good but strangely, on my arrival night, my pc laptop could connect but my iPad kept cutting out after 5 mins. Maybe something to do with the different two systems but it was fixed and ready for me the next day when I woke up. Reception said they rebooted the system and the fault seemed to correct itself.

For the price I paid this was definitely the size and quality of a 4 star place (a separate lounge and huge bathroom gets my vote alone), yet it was classed as 3 star. Breakfast was great, plentiful and in an attractive area near reception looking out to the street below.

If you want an inexpensive but good quality, clean, stylish room then this is certainly a great recommendation, I would stay here again, no problem.

Day one in Chisinau

As I arrived late in the day to the hotel, I decided to spend the night before planning my route around this city.

As usual I had done the research and knew of the 20 or so things I wanted to see and explore but had not put them into any kind of walking route or visit order. I knew I would have this spare time at the hotel so thought this would be a good use of my spare time here.

With a rough route worked out, I felt confident I knew where I was going and what to expect …. There’s always a plan B in case with me and I had made one of those too!

I set the alarm early and *click* I turned the bedside light out and fell to sleep immediately.

At breakfast (which was plentiful and good) I chatted with the receptionist, just to check there was no major disruption in town and all would be. He confirmed the city was open and ready, so off I set to my first place .

Chisinau Central Market 

My first place to head for was an unusual one for me.

Markets don’t normally feature high on my “must see” lists. I rarely need to buy food as I eat at a local restaurant. I also clearly will not need any clothes and housewares so why was I headed here?

I had read on reviews and websites how this huge central city market was quite unique. It was one of the last remaining old Soviet style ones in a semi open area. It was claimed to be full of small independent families bringing farm good to markets and other selling just about anything on huge stalls like in the old days. It apparently still retained an 1970’s feel, unadorned and was a low cost alternative to supermarkets for the locals, not tourists ….. that appealed to my sense of the past and for something different, quintessentially Moldovan and cheapy non-tourist.

You enter from a side street off the main Stefan Boulevard. Immediately you see a sea of stalls scattered everywhere.  One area has lines and lines full of fruit and veg’ stalls piled high with wares, many still with the rich Moldovan soil attached to them in a real farmers market style. It was very busy, lots of chatting between stall holders and customers, a true bustling market

Much of the wares were not of the best quality (yes, I had the prejudice of comparing them against exquisitely clean UK supermarket. pre-packed and weighed vegetables). Here customers pointed, jabbered away in Romanian, goods were thrown into those big silver scoops, weighted (even by adding/subtracting metal weights), Put in a bag and passed to customers who handed them CASH … yes CASH to buy.

The whole scene immediately took me back to my childhood in Norwich. UK where I would go with my mum on the bus into the city centre market and buy bags of fruit and veg, freshly plucked to bring them home for the week.

So many people noticed me watching. I guess I stood out as a tourist as everyone else was busy buying/selling …. and I was certainly the only tourist here of the hundreds of bodies gathered under this huge girded roof.

Makeshift tall, tables, overhead umbrellas of non-uniform size and colour, all clearly years old, made this a wondrous place for me.

Another stall area was in the open air and they all had erected tarpaulins overhead ready to pull down if the rain came. It gave then such a temporary and rickety look, but needs must when you are in a poor economy. It however gave me interest as I hadn’t seen these in Europe for 30 years on a permanent market sight.

I wandered, soaking in the hustle-bustle, noises, smells and sights that I rarely get to see.

Many stalls were like bric-a-brac stalls. They sold every kind of kitchen/cleaning product you would need, pans, brushes, pot scrubbers, towels and clearly specialised in that sector. They must be holding 200 different items on the overfilled but authoritative stall. My local supermarket hasn’t got that kind of density or variety of products so I had to take my hat off to them for that!

The variety of stalls was immense. Some specialising in baby clothes, others in small electrical goods, others in tinned food and pasta and many in general food stuff. The flower stands were attractively displayed but not as busy as the other stalls.

There was one stall selling big flower arrangements. I couldn’t work out what these immense shield-like but colourful items were for …. then I saw the small tombstones and memorial cards to dead people and realised they were wreaths for funerals. Enterprising! Just in case you forgot the wreath for grandma’s funeral that day. you could pop down here and pick one up cheap!

Now, this may not be a big tourist draw for many people and I guess many may not feel comfortable in a slightly dishevelled, run-down, huge market where the local low-income people may shop. But put those feelings aside – it was perfectly safe, captivating to see the products, how they were sold and just to mingle with locals to get a feel for how they live and survive (and to compare it with your probably better conditions back home, to appreciate what you came from).

If I lived here, I would be down here every day for my cheap veg and pots and pans, and yes the prices were incredibly cheap for a Brit. I bought two apples and two peaches (last of the big spenders!) for what was about 50p or 30 cents. One peach in the UK would be 50p!

Mihai Eminescu National Drama Theatre

Having left the market behind I walked back where I had come along the main city Boulevard – Stefan cel mare Boulevard.

Take a look at the buildings lining this Boulevard. as despite their slightly over-commercialised advertising hoarding and signage, they were actually quite grand blocks of buildings in their day.

The whole Boulevard is the main shopping street of the city and there are several Govt Ministries, palace like buildings and major company HQ;s here too.

Sitting back from the road is the building that I actually walked past from my hotel to go to the market. Now I got to see the grand columned and porticoed façade.

It is one of the several prestigious edifices of Chisinau, having been started in 1931, with plans for it to hold a Municipal Library, a Conservatory, an 800-seat theatre and an art gallery. It went by different names over the years but has held its present name (from a Moldovan Poet), since 1988.

I say it was started in 1931 …. because of WW2 and then Soviet occupation, it was never actually finished until 1953.

Today it used for concerts, plays, conferences and has a small art gallery.

It was closed daytime as there were concerts being practised inside for evening performances. Never did get to a performance despite me mentally planning to do so.

Click here for their website if you are thinking of getting tickets, (unfortunately website is is Moldovan, so ask Google to translate it).

Market on Mihai Eminescu Square

As I walked on from the Theatre next door, in and around the square next door was another market.

I had not known about this, so stumbled upon it quite by accident.

Stalls were set up selling different items in different areas of the square.

The first area, near the Boulevard, was selling all manner of traditional handicrafts, mainly in wood but all so colourful and expertly made. They were clearly handcrafted, as each item despite being a set of carved dolls. were slightly differently finished and painted.

Another area was selling traditional and clearly home-made, knitted hats, socks, sweater and cloves (even though it wasn’t Winter). There were dyed shawls and even classic aprons all so prettily merchandised and sold by the artisan makers.

Another section had paintings. Yep, some were a bit cheesy of a house set amongst a mountain or lake backdrop, but many other were very professional and creative. Again, the artists were selling them themselves and one was still at the easel painting out his latest creation.

The last area area – a bit further apart from the others – felt a bit more touristy with its interlocking Russian dolls and imitation flower arrangements. Maybe the real artisans had banished this section away from the true creative folk!

Again, I wandered and was aware that I was the only non-Moldovan tourist here, So many customers were talking and I suppose bartering with the sellers, in expert Moldovan, so they were probably not foreigners like me.

Do you know what was best of all – I never got hassled while I was browsing – I was expecting it but it never happened. It made the retail therapy wander so much more pleasurable! I was searching for some little genuine souvenir I could bring back. It would have to be so small to fit in my already very full cabin-sized pack …. I never found anything that small unfortunately.

I thought I would come back here on my last day to have another search for that elusive souvenir  …. but disaster.

After my long day sightseeing, I returned in the evening, walking past this square. Everything was packed up and gone!

When I got back to the hotel I asked the guy on reception about that market and he said it was a once a week event only, on the same day every week. Damn and blast!

Organ Concert Hall

I never went inside this building as it’s mainly an evening concert hall place and I passed by during the day and it was obviously closed. It did attract my attention though. as it is quite an impressive building from the outside. Nestled on the main city boulevard – it’s a little hard to miss!

It’s called The Organ Hall, because ….. it has a huge musical organ installed inside.

However, it was originally built in 1902 as the City Bank. Later, in Soviet times, the building housed the regional office of the USSR State Bank.

So, how did it become a concert Hall mainly for organ music? Well, a little politics was clearly at hand here – good to know people in high places, I guess. The daughter of the then leader of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, was an accomplished organist who had graduated from the Moscow Conservatory and long dreamed of a decent venue for classical music in her hometown.

A word in her dad’s ear and, viola, it was decided to convert the building, which started in 1975 and took 3 tears to complete, into a concert hall. The Hall was born.

Today all manner of concerts are held here, but organ music has a ready made organ to play on. It seats around 500 people and from what I’ve read it has great acoustics, well attended concerts and an excellent reputation for accomplished payers and orchestras – what more do you want?

I did look for what was on, to maybe attend that evening but the performance was of music I had heard before several times already, so I skipped it.

Click here for opening times and concert info 

Chisinau City Hall

Just a little further along the road is the third “must see” building on this section of the boulevard. The Theatre, Hall and this one, all lie next to each other so are an easy quick win to see three of Chisinau most elegant classic edifices.

It does rather stand out, in that it is a long, low-rise, two storey building, somewhat overshadowed by the taller adjacent 3 and 4 storey blocks next to it.

As a City Hall. It is rather low key for me. I at first assumed it was a long old fashioned dept store or some type of warehouse.

Its Italian Gothic style certainly stands out as different to the surrounding classic Greco-Romano , East European heavy buildings and certainly the nearby 1970 style Soviet blocks.

The beige and white bricks give it an almost mediaeval look to me despite the large clocktower at one corner.

It was built in virtually the same year as the Organ Hall that faces it, but what a complete difference in style it shows. The fact that it still exists, is also a wonder, as it was heavily damaged during WW2. It was meticulously reconstructed to its original shape and form, using only old photos of the building as a guide.

Admire from the outside as you can’t go inside to wander about.

Government House of the Republic of Moldova

I tried to find out exactly what happens inside this building, really to no avail. It is called The Government House of the Republic of Moldova. I am assuming it is where the Ministers and govt officials have their offices as the actual Parliament building (where the [politicians meet in a huge chamber) is further down the road.

The building is a 6-storey reinforced concrete structure, lined with white stone, built in 1963. Its blandness and functionality is typical of the Soviet times and whilst not particularly appealing to the eye is a classic interpretation of that period.

It faces the big Triumphal arch and Cathedral in front.

I did walk up the steps in front, near the Monument to the Victims of the Russian Occupation and stood gazing at its frontage. The huge flag was fluttering at the top of the enormous flagpole set in front of the square.

I was aware that I was the only person I could see in the entire square and building frontage. Had I stumbled unannounced into a prohibited area? I saw no-one entering or leaving this building. that must house a few hundred workers and there were no guards.

I walked closer to the building expecting to hear a bullet ricochet on the concrete slabs in front of me and a warning shouted out ….. but nothing. The area was silent and seemingly abandoned and I had it all to myself. Not even a policeman shouting “no photos” as I was expecting.

I was wary of taking photos …. just in case … but after 5 minutes of walking around the frontage I decided I must have come here on a particularly quiet day.

There are parts of Chisinau, like the hugely wide boulevards, the enormous squares and the massive park that just seemed like they were built for a bigger population. They were often quiet and peaceful Maybe crowds come along on other days.

I also read that Stalin liked wide boulevards in cities in the Soviet Republics so he could get tanks down them quickly to repel any insurrection. I had a vision of Tiananmen Square in Beijing and the tanks in the square when I read that!

Triumphal Arch

This monument has a fun history of events and despite its size and relative plainness as a victory arch, is well loved by the city’s residents.

So, why is it here? – well, by accident really. The city governor asked for the cannons recovered from the Ottomans when the Russians beat them in the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-9 to be smelted into bells for the city’s new Cathedral.

When the bells were delivered, the biggest was too big and heavy (weighing 6,400 kg) for the Cathedral belfry. They thus decided to build an arch in 1839 to commemorate the victory and place the bells inside them. To think, that if the smelters had got the measurements right, this Triumphal Arch would never be here!

A clockface appeared on the tower in 1842 from Odessa, but it broke in 1881 and was replaced by an Austrian one. All was well till it was damaged in WW2 but repaired afterwards.

The funniest thing was that in 2001, two men tried to scramble up the tower to steal the metal clock arms. They pulled them off, damaging them and were hoping to sell then for scrap but were caught in the act. The clock’s arms were repaired and placed back.

You can walk up to the arch and stand underneath it, near the large hanging Moldovan flag inside.

Cathedral Park

This is a little green oasis slap-bang in the centre of town. In fact, you could say that this is the central spot from where all roads radiate from the city.

It’s full of trees and with lawns and sometimes earth-filled spaces under the soaring greenery above. It is popular for the city’s inhabitants to use for strolls and letting their kiddies run around in the big open spaces, while keeping a parental eye on them.

I found it such a pleasure to relax sitting on one of the many benches after my long walks and just watch the world go by, with the sound of the chirping birds all around me.

It has many fun and cultural hotspots. There is a red heart within a caged heart, which lovers have adopted to lock padlocks on. It’s a variation on the lover’s bridge with padlocks that I’ve seen in Paris and Riga, Latvia.

This city park is used for recreation too, there were even young budding artists practising their artwork on canvases there.

Along the perimeter were various memorials to famous people, wars, and even a Peace monument near the Cathedral.

If you get the chance, definitely visit here. There is a café on one side of the park, or even grab and ice-cream from a shop on the road nearby and enjoy it sitting under the shade of a tree as I did.

Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity

This Cathedral has a bit of a” rising up like a phoenix” history story to tell.

It was built at the same time as the Triumphal Arch opposite – remember the bells designed for the Cathedrals belfry didn’t and were paced in the Triumphal Arch instead.

Well, it was built in 1840 with its six columned and porticoed frontage to be the new Cathedral for the city. Its grey coloured dome can be seen from anywhere in the Cathedral Park – it reminded me a lot of Helsinki’s main Cathedral.

The bell tower, built separately in front of it, held its bells. Make sure you are near them on the hour, to hear its glorious chimes.

Like most buildings in Chisinau, it suffered bombing during WW2. After the war, and with Stalin’s dislike of religion it was not fully repaired but put to use as an exhibition hall. The Communists even demolished the bell tower in 1962.

It was finally finished as a Cathedral in 1991 and reopened, but its internal walls were bare of religious works. The bell tower was rebuilt in 1997 to complete the process.

Today it feels that every inch of this previously bare walls has been covered in religious icons, paintings and colour.

A huge, golden chandelier now hangs from the roof of its central dome, and altar pieces, frescos and wall panels in gold and embossed wood adorn the interior.

There is no mistaking that this is now an Orthodox Christian Cathedral.

Chisinau street cafes

For such a small city, Chisinau has a great selection of cafes and restaurants. I found so many attractive places just wandering the streets. They can be quite creative in the outdoor designs to catch your eye and pull you in. These are just a couple of examples where they had tried just that.

As Chisinau is not a typical “tourist” location, you don’t always find these eateries on the main streets or where you would expect, e.g. on a square. Usually, they are on side street off the main roads and even in semi-residential areas near the centre. I had 5 good eateries all within a couple of minutes of my hotel, all with great value, service and quality of food.

Day two in Chisinau

Day two was going to be a single venue stop but what a stop that was going to be.

Before I arrived in Chisinau, in fact several weeks before, I had booked myself onto this day trip. It is very popular and must be booked in advance or the chances are you will miss out.

A car was going to pick me up around 9:30 am from the hotel and would stay with me the whole day and return me back in the afternoon. This was all arranged through the tour company, as the car is an integral part of the excursion. You can’t take your own for reasons I’ll explain later.

Milestii Mici Winery

The car arrived and reception called me and out I went to get in for my journey for the day.

We took a fairly straight route out of town, in which direction I had no clue, the driver spoke a little English but knew where to go.

As we left Chisinau, open fields appeared and the landscape was rather flat. Mountains were looming in the far distance but we seemed to be driving parallel to them rather than towards them

I noticed that the car was extremely quiet. Too quiet and I wondered why. Is this an electric car I asked the driver? He replied it was, quite nonchantly and it crossed my mind that I had seen no electric charging points in the city. This was rather high tech for a country that is officially the poorest in Europe I thought to myself….. more on that later!

The winery I was going to has the largest underground wine cellars of any in the world – it’s officially recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest in the world.

Yep, you heard that right, the biggest wine cellars are not in France, or Italy or Spain but in Moldova …. all 1.5 million bottles of them, in 55 Kms of underground chambers, excavated from 1968.

After about 25 mins we arrived at a large pseudo mediaeval building in the middle of nowhere.

The entrance area was undergoing renovations and was covered in tarpaulins. We stopped at the big impressive iron gates with the company logo on them. The driver seemingly gave names to the checkpoint man, the gates swung open and we drove through. The gates clanked closed behind us and we drove further to a long layby on the side of the approach road beside the reception building.

This was a beige/brown, rough ,stone majestic looking building. I was told I could leave the car and wander the gardens and frontal area for 20 mins, as they were wanting for more cars and visitors to arrive, who promptly did and parked behind my car.

The driveway has some impressive features, with a carefully clipped hedgerows and a lovely green grassy areas.

To one side was the feature area resplendent with old wine barrels in a creative design lodged atop a stone water feature,

It was spouting red and white wine from wine bottles laid on the ledges, in a fountain cascade effect and filling into huge wine glasses for effect. The red and white wine was obviously coloured water (would you waste good wine on a water feature like that – no).

There were several of these barrels fountains places around a large garden as a kind of welcoming spectacle to wander around while you are waiting for the tour to start.

A shout went up and we were all invited into the battlement topped stone building that serves as a reception area.

Greeted by the tour guide from the winery we were given a brief description of the day, what we would see and do (including a small buffet and wine tasting towards the end) and that we would be transported around the underground cellars …. in our cars.

That was a first, I thought and it seemed a little odd. The guide explained that the route would be about 10 km where we stop off at about 5 points, to see various aspects of the cellars – no wonder the car was needed.

Now I suddenly realised why my, and all the other cars that had picked up all the other guests, were electric cars …… no exhaust fumes, for our and the wines protection – so logical.

We all jumped in our cars and the drivers (who clearly had all done this before) , moved away in convoy and we entered the underground chambers.

These underground roads were amazing, sometime two lanes wide but mostly one lane as the route was a one direction system.

We stopped off at some huge vats where the guide explained that these were storage tanks for large volume wines. Depending on the time of the year they would be full or empty. Plenty of photo opportunities were given at each stopping point and the guide made sure we were all together before starting her talks and answering any questions.

We even stopped of at an underground waterfall and river that she said was used for irrigation abut also keeps the cellars cool.

At one stop we parked up by a large white portico entrance more akin to the entrance to a grand villa. Lights were turned on and we entered corridors and wide alleyways, full of large niches carved into the rock where hundreds of bottles were laid down. This was the official entrance to the wine cellars.

Further along we entered into what felt like a more private area. Our guide explained that these were limited editions and pointed out the wine variety and its location number as everything is catalogued and recorded for future collection purposes.

An old vine had been placed in one of the larger floor squares to add a bit of atmosphere to the lines of storages holes in the walls.

Every year was represented by these cubby holes full of wine and every variety of grape harvested was here … thousands and thousands of bottles as far as the eye could see.

The guide did jokingly say (although it was also a polite way of deterring theft) that at every point there are cctv cameras for safety, security and emergencies – pointing at the several nearby cameras – hint, no stealing!

Clearly some of the areas contained prestigious and expensive wines as these were in areas with beautiful carvings in the stone walls – animals and wine paraphernalia seemed to be the most popular designs.

There were little side entrances to other stashes of wine. When asked we were told these were private collections and we were not allowed in them.

It was revealed that many important clients had bought thousands of bottles as investments, never to be drunk and they were permanently stored here. Each separate collection was worth a few million pounds and the Chinese were among their best clients.

One section has a whole room full of iron, gated, locked cabinets. These were private cellars where private clients bought one or two bottles per year of the best and most expensive wines and thus kept their own little personal stashes in these cubby holes. The owners name details were on several of the internal cabinets.

On another stop we were shown a secret room. When the Germans and later Russians took over Moldova there was concern that they would ransack the cellars of their best wines. The resistance on both occasions, ferried those collections into a secret part of the cellars, sealed up the entrances to look like a dead end and never told anyone their secret.

When each occupation was over, those in the know then unbricked that cellar, knowing that they had saved the best for posterity. Even during the decades under Soviet occupation, the Russians never found those wines or the secret got out. We saw the secret compartment today but could not go inside.

After several more stops to see more vats and an area with old machinery used to make the barrels it was time to head for the exit.

The journey had been exhilarating. I’ve never done anything like this before and to have been in the world record cellars and seen some of the most expensive bottles of wines in the world, was a once in a lifetime event.

We still had one more delight left.

We drove to an area of the cellars and all disembarked into a huge, floor-tiled room. Then, like something out of a Harry Potter movie, a large ceiling-height barrel split into two doors, opened, and revealed a mediaeval style banqueting hall inside …. WOW ……

Entering in, we were introduced to several long wooden tables and bench seating with cheese, meats and olives prettily displayed on the tables. We were told to seat ourselves anywhere and then a violinist and an accordion player entered playing traditional Moldovan folk songs.

We were all offered tasting of several red or white wines and soon the chat between all of us guests was flowing … the wine helped …… and we suddenly realised we were a veritable United Nations group – people from Brazil, France, USA, Romania, Russia, Japan and more.

The music players wandered amongst us asking what country we were from and then playing a suitably funny musical style associated with that country – the American got a bit of country and western style music (that was fun on an accordion!), the Italian got “O Sole Mio” and I got …. a song from the Beatles! It was so funny how they interpreted each nationality and had a song for everyone.

On the nearby walls were the certificates from the Guinness Book of Records, proving that they were the biggest cellar in the world and lots of creative designs in ironwork and charts.

Of course, the wine shop was nearby and we were directed there if we wanted to buy any of the wines we had tasted. We were not pressurised at all on this, which made the visit even more enjoyable …. and I actually did want to buy a wine that I had tasted and was fabulous. I would have bought more but as I was travelling hand luggage only on my flight, I had no space in my bag and also liquid restrictions would have prohibited it.

I found the wine I wanted and it was so cheap. I had been told beforehand that it was a wine a few years old of a good year and so was expecting a premium. It turned out to be a mid-point wine price between the cheapest and the most expensive in the shop. However, the price was only a little more than what I would pay for an average bottle of wine back home – an absolute bargain.

I did manage to get back to my car, where all said goodbye to each other, as we boarded and were driven back to our hotels. To be honest I felt a little tipsy from all the free-flowing tastings but managed to keep awake for the journey home.

I am a lightweight when it comes to daytime alcohol drinking. A couple of glasses will send me to sleep (in the eve I can drink like a fish), but daytime is a no, no for me. I saved the bottle of wine (which was superb again by the way), for another eve on my stay.

First thing I did when I got back to the hotel in the afternoon was take a well-earned nap!

The trip is almost a full day and is not cheap. For that however you get picked up by a private car at your hotel, driven to the winery 25 mins away, driven round everywhere underground, have a guide with the group of cars at all times who was excellent and fun, learn lots about the history of the winery, see some of the most expensive wine in the world, stop-off numerous times to see different aspects of the cellars with also underground mini walking tour,  get food, wine tastings and entertainment and then driven back to your hotel. Remember the visit is to the cellars only, so you don’t go amongst the vines at ground level.

For me it was worth every penny (£66) and I would seriously encourage you to do this tour.

Andy’s Restaurant

I woke after a couple of hours from my nap feeling more alive and refreshed.

It was now early evening and I just wanted to relax, get some food and have an early night, ready for an early start the next day.

I saw a restaurant I liked the look of on a previous day literally 5 mins walk from my hotel, so I headed for it.

Andy’ Restaurant is great. It’s stylish inside with a warehouse almost Scandic feel to it and it was being frequented by a younger well-dressed crowd and a few families.

The menu is quite varied with lots of Italian food including pizza, pasta and Mediterranean style dishes but also an international and Moldovan section.

I plumped for a bruschetta with goat’s cheese and berries starter, followed by a mushroom and chicken stew. Both were excellent. A couple of Moldovan beers accompanied the meal – I told you I can drink well in the eves, not daytime!

The fabulous thing about the stew was that was served so ingeniously. The stew is served inside a big scooped-out, square, almost loaf sized rustic roll. The stew does not leak out and it even has its own bread cap to place on it to keep it warm. After you have eaten most of the stew you can then start eating the gravy-soaked bread side …. Absolutely yummy and so creative.

Service was very good. The waiter didn’t speak English, strangely, but between pointing and checking (the menu had an English interpretation) we got along just fine.

This is a great place and I sat in the huge glass outside terrace that faces the main boulevard, just to people watch and see Chisinau city-life go by.

Andy’s has several other restaurant of the same name around the city, so if you want a good meal, at great prices, in a pleasant atmosphere, then head to one of them.

Mine was on the corner of Stefan cel Mare Boulevard and Mihai Eminescu Street, opposite the Mihai Eminescu Theatre that I spoke of on my first day here.

Day three in Chisinau

This was to be my last sight-seeing day and to be honest I was already regretting not having more time to see more of the city and the country.

Chisinau is definitely rough around the edges, there is much maintenance still need in civic areas and areas of the city cannot be called pretty (old, brutal concrete Stalinist buildings especially). However, this gave it a certain charm.

I could see that people loved their city, as what there was to see, was obviously well maintained. There was a clear push for advancing their lot, new buildings and stores were immaculate, people dressed well even though they were not wealthy. Shop workers were polite but industrious and there was a clear bustle about the city that made it feel alive …… I was enjoying Chisinau much more than I usually enjoy exploring places, on my travels.

Anyway, back to the day.

After a great breakfast, I set out down the road directly opposite my hotel. My first stop was a mere 5 mins walk away. I told you this hotel was well placed.

National Art Museum of Moldova

The museum was first opened in 1939 by a famous local sculptor Alexander Plamadeala. He chose a building that at various times had previously been a school, gymnasium, hospital and warehouse and converted it to the present museum

He chose 160 artworks from around Moldova and Romania for the opening exhibition.

Soon after, fearful of looting or destruction in WW2, the works were loaded into two trucks and sent to Kharkiv in Ukraine for safekeeping. That attempt to save them was fruitless as after their arrival they disappeared and were never seen again.

I’ve mentioned how much of Chisinau was destroyed in various attacks and occupations – this was one of the few buildings that remained fairly intact in the city.

It is certainly different in style to many edifices in Chisinau with its red brick walls interspersed with beige stonework.

As I entered, I noticed that there was a large temporary exhibition by a local artist Ada Zevin. I had not heard of her but when I looked her up after my visit, I found out she is much revered in Moldova for her artworks. She has an exhibition at this museum every 10 years and attracts quite a crowd …. Again, I was in the right place at the right time and got to see her creative works.

The entrance foyer and main staircase that rises through the middle of the building is very grand. A wonderful carved affair on stone carved balustrades. Square thick corinthian topped columns ran top to bottom and around the outer floors.

Painted in greys, beiges and whites the effect was quite eye catching, modern colours in a classical setting …… I loved it so much I kept taking pictures of it as it seemed as creative as many of the artworks.

Ok, so you’re not going to see Picassos or Rembrandts here or even an odd Renoir. It is a mainly Moldovan collection of artists with a smattering of internationals (none I had heard of).

I’m going to let you scroll through my favourites, rather then do a room by room review – that would be too long and boring.

What it lacks in big names, it makes up in fantastic variety, style and creativity of works. Paintings range from mediaeval religious works, the impressionist styles, classic landscapes, through to Japanese 19^th century works and some fabulous modern abstract works.

I was fascinated by them, especially as I had heard of none of them. It captivated me more in their expressiveness and uniqueness than many a famous gallery would have done.

The works are not limited to paintings as there are many sculptures and metalworks on display, a few pieces of antique furniture even get a look in.

As art museums go, this was superb, like a little smorgasbord of little snippets of the best of so many art styles and interpretations through history.

The fun part was that a steward saw me looking confused at one point as to which direction I should go at one level. She popped over to me and spoke in Moldovan with a smile. I apologised and said in English that I don’t speak Moldovan. She chuckled in embarrassment and then asked me in French if I spoke French. Luckily, I do and, so relieved, we chatted in French about the rooms and what was where.

She seemed so delighted to be able to speak to a foreigner and help me in French. I thanked her and she thanked me and off I went now fully informed. My first time conversing in Moldova with a local, outside the hotel, and we did it in French …. International or what!

National Museum of the History of Moldova

Having indulged all I needed to in the art Museum there is another museum literally one minute’s walk away.

It’s high topped, rounded side-turrets gave it an almost French chateau look and judging by its long façade there was plenty inside.

However, having read up a little on its contents, I decided it wasn’t quite my thing. If historical artefacts and pieces that tell the history of Moldova is what floats your boat then I guess a stop-off here is required.

I read it is very Moldova centric, obviously, and very much about creating a working identity of what Moldova was and is. If you are not familiar with its history, culture and struggles then many exhibits here may seem confusing.

What I loved were the outside exhibits. Pieces of equipment from the Soviet era eg a helicopter and an old tractor set in the grounds were a little surreal but interesting.

Stephen the Great Central Park

This 17 acre park is a veritable oasis of nature in the city. It is also the oldest park, having been established in 1818 with pathways, trees and lawns. Some of the 50 varieties of trees here (I dare you to find and count them!), are over 180 years old.

At the entrance is a statue of Stephen the Great, placed here in 1928. The statue was created by the guy who founded the National Art Museum of Moldova that we had just been in.

Stephen the Great was Prince of Moldovia (spelt with an extra i in those days), from 1457 to 1504. He is revered today as having successfully fought off Hungarian and then Ottoman invaders in his time. He is seen as a founder of the future Moldova

Today, the Park has a nickname of “Lover’s Park”, due to the number of couples who wander chatting, hand in hand here. That is actually true. I noticed this myself and remarked on it, only to read up later at the hotel that this is the case.

There is a small bandstand in the park and plentiful benches to relax on and take in the sun

In the 1820 the famous Russian poet, playwright and novelist Pushkin used to wander through the park. They then erected a statue to him in 1883 here. That statue is actually the oldest statue in Chisinau

In 1958, the “Avenue of the Classics of Moldovan Literature” was opened, lined with statues and busts of Romanian and Moldovan authors and social figures. Pushkin’s statue was moved to here at that time too. It all still stands today exactly as it was in the past.

The bronze busts are set upon bases of red polished granite. It’s quite a sight to walk down this bust lined walkway today.

The flowers beds here are gorgeous, full and colourful and a walk through this park is refreshing. The city noise disappears and you would never know you are bang in the centre of a major city.

Just to note here is that Gorbachev (ex-Russian President) and Yuri Gagarin (first man in space) both planted trees here in the park.

All walkways lead to the main central fountain, (there are other smaller ones dotted around the grounds). So many people were seated at the nearby plethora of benches chatting, while kiddies swooped around the wide centre, playing games and laughing. Others were reading, while several were having a picnic with friends.

This central park is clearly well loved and used and utilised as an outdoor centre, as it should be.

Opera and Ballet Theatre

A walk back out of the park to the Stephen cel Mare Boulevard puts you on track to stop by the Opera and Ballet House. Or to give it its full name, The Maria Biesu National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Maria Biesu was a renown opera singer.

The building was completed in 1957.

This was a disappointment.

The soviet functionalist style of the building stood out and the encircling top carved lintel was a decorative attraction.

However, they had not got the setting right. In front of the House, where you would expect to see a grand fountain or a classic piece of artwork was …. a rough floored carpark. Totally out of setting with the supposed grandeur of the building.

It didn’t help that the slender architectural columns of the building were being used as several massive billboards, slung between them. The plethora of advertising, albeit about upcoming performances, was an ugly sight that detracted from the style of the building.

Too much tacky advertising had ruined any hope of creating an exclusive, high quality, culture impression. I get they have to advertise and let the public know what’s coming up, but the building is not an advertising hoarding and it could be done much better.

At first, I thought the building was abandoned, that’s why so much advertising was on it, but no, commercialism had taken over.

To one side was a delightful fountain that was spraying waterjets to form an overarching water feature. Pity the car parking area and this fountain couldn’t swop places.

Don’t let my description put you off attending a performance however. The Ballet and Opera Company has a high reputation in Europe and performances are usually sell outs – so book in advance. Click here for their website for info. 

Moldavian Parliament Building

If you want one massive pure example of Soviet 1970’s building architecture, then look no further than here.

This huge 9 storey building was built between 1976-79 and was originally the building of the Central Committee of the Moldovan branch of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Remember that the wide Boulevard in front (Stephen the Great Boulevard) was once called Lenin Boulevard  and you have that old Soviet setting in a nutshell.

Today a democratic, Parliamentary, political system lives in this building – with a govt and majority governing political party/alliance that looks to the West for influence. Moldova has officially applied for EU membership, although it pursues a militarily neutral position.

As in the previous huge govt building just further along, I was able to walk alongside the building and even get up to the fore-court in front of the entrance.

There is no fence or barrier stopping anyone from just walking straight into the building but I didn’t dare. There was no-one walking around here, except me, but also no guards at the door either.

Nothing and no-one stopped be from getting near or taking photos – it just felt eerily quiet around the building. The green foliage and mini-hedge that spelled out the name “Moldova” on the front steps was particularly endearing and clearly a nod towards adding something more natural to what was a heavy, solid building.

Presidential Palace

Next to see in my list was the Presidential Palace. According to my map, all I have to do after facing the parliament building was to turn around, face the other way and it would be across the road.

I saw a white concrete and bronze- coloured glass, strange shaped building in front of me. It resembled more a petrochemical company’s HQ or even a dated hotel that was trying to impress with weird architecture.

I looked at the map on my phone to double check. Yes, this was the Presidential Palace.

The shape looked like four square missiles had landed with their tips embedded in the ground and glass panels had been erected between them ……. just my take on the design.

It was built in 1984-87 and was originally the building of the Supreme Soviet of Moldova (another Soviet govt building).

I walked around it and got nearer but the high metal fence and trees somewhat blocked off most of the view at ground level.

Ok, I had seen it but it just didn’t feel “Presidential” – I kept thinking it looked a bit like a tacky “Trump Tower” with wings.

It was here that Moldova signed its independence document in 1991

Transfiguration Church Chisinau

Walk further along the Boulevard away from the Parliament building and you come to my next stop. This part of the exploring was so easy as there are around 7 buildings all virtually in a line next to each other that I wanted to see. I couldn’t get lost!

This church may look older but it was completed in 1902. It looks quite grand on the outside but its history is somewhat strange.

In 1962 it was converted into a planetarium. Why? Well, this was the era of the space race between the USA and the USSR. Yuri Gagarin had just beaten the Americans to be the first man in space and in the USSR, space themes were the new in-thing.

Under the Communists religion was banned officially so they decided to commandeer the church and turn it into a space-themed planetarium. It stayed like this until a fire in 1990 ravaged the building so much that refurbishing it back as a planetarium was too expensive and Space was also kinda no longer the flavour of the month.

It was handed back to the church in 1991 (the same year as Moldova gained its independence), renovated and re-opened as a church again.

Inside it is gloriously well maintained – well the artwork is not ancient, so it should still look fresh.

The panels are perfectly preserved and the colours are of a light pastel shade throughout which gives it a bright and airy feel.

However, there is one thing that everyone comes here to see, me included.

One wall has a huge 5 metre by 7 metre colourful fresco and if you look at it closely it is almost too clean to be old. It is …. It was painted in 2017 by a young artist. His brief was to portray a modern interpretation of Heaven and Hell.

The scenes of Heaven are pretty ordinary – saints ascending to heaven, godly women helping children etc, etc, but Hell is something very different. There are gruesome scenes, almost horror comic book-like and deformed monsters massacring people. There are scenes however with a modern take that will surprise.

See if you can find where people are using the internet, mobile phones and laptops. These modern-day aspects are thrown into the mix and give a unique view on the digital age, as if they were taken from some computer game or scary movie.

It is interesting how the very conservative Orthodox Church of Moldova gave permission to the artist to paint such a modern depiction of the Bible.

Palace of the Republic

I wanted to pass by and see the next building for several reasons. It probably wouldn’t be on most people’s “must see” list but as my route took me this way, it was worth giving it some time.

I thus returned back to the Parliament building and took the road alongside the Stephen the Great Park, arriving beside this building.

It was opened to great fanfare in 1994 as a State meeting hall and then four years later renamed and repurposed as a cultural and arts centre.

The design is somewhat garish but represent the designs of that era. The gold glassed windows and high arched columns extending to the rooftop, did gave it a somewhat airport terminal look to me.

But for me there were a couple of political/historical reasons why I wanted to see it.

From 2009 to 2014 this was the actual Parliament building. It was used while the present Parliament building was undergoing extensive refurbishments and alterations from its previous use. Also, The President of Moldova was sworn in here in 2016 and again in 2020.

Today this is a conference centre with exhibition halls and meeting rooms. When needed, it also doubles as a theatre and concert hall.

That took all of a few minutes but it was crossed off the list of my “must sees”.

I carried on down towards the lake

Valea Morilor Park

There are a couple of entrances into the park that surround the lake at the end of this 20 mins walk to get here.

As You are looking towards the lake, make sure you head for the entrance through the residential streets that will bring you to the right-hand or northern corner of the lake/park.

The reason why I want you to take this entrance (next to the big Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts), is special.

Here at the top of the huge incline, looking down to the lake is an impressive entrance of steps, a rotunda and a magnificent view over the lake and surrounding park.

It also means you walk downhill via the slopes, steps, fountains and walkways. My route will then take you round the lake and you exit via the gentle slope of the eastern end of the park.

From the top there is a shady veranda with a circular rotunda in which to stand and admire the layout of the park. The descending steps below you take on an almost French classical park with stone columned lamposts and bubbling water flowing down through a central waterway.

Walk down the steps and you can admire the small flower beds and occasional ornamental pool and water spouts, adding to the elegant vista ahead of you.

At the bottom is a grand carved water fountain and a wider view of the lake ahead of you surrounded by trees and lawns.

On the day I visited, there was a bookseller advertising their wares on a long thin Moldovan flag/floorcovering.

Books were being arranged on the flag and the steps as they had just arrived. It was certainly a novel and eye-catching way to sell books,

I’m not sure if this was an officially approved display as the public steps were being used, but it was attracting people to the display.

At the bottom of the huge flight of stairs was a cute bronze artwork. It depicted two life-sized kids, one on a skateboard accompanied by their dog. It was also attracting happy snappers who wanted a pic of it. I had to actually wait several minutes before I could get an unobstructed view of the artwork without someone posing for the camera beside it.

This park is huge. It seems oversized for what is a small city (and a capital city at that), and as such is a huge benefit for Chisinau. Its name translates as Mill Valley Park. Never did see any mills though , perhaps they used to be here in the past.

The lake is a massive rectangle and although the photos don’t show all aspects of its diversity, there were several varying panoramas as I walked around it. Yep, I did a complete lap of the lake and it took about at an hour, but what a glorious hour it was.

Part of the lake even has an extensive sandy beach. Not many people on it today as it was not a particularly hot day but I could see the benefit of sunbathing then a cooling swim in the lake.

Another part of the lake has huge reed beds where ducks and swans gathered and it took on a nature reserve aspect.

Further round and there were jogging tracks, cycle routes a kiddie’s playground and then finally a massive area of just natural woodland and clearings for picnic areas. The park area all around was extensive, so much so that it disappeared off to the horizon and only stopped where I could see the beginnings of some clearly expensive and stylish residential blocks.

The lake also has a canoe/kayak club and I actually saw a couple of people paddling their kayak through the waters.

At the end of the long trail, I turned to the right just before I re-joined where I had entered and took the wide pathway out of the park. Here were many assorted cafes and restaurants and even the odd ice cream stand, all beautifully designed to mix in with the olde worlde style of the park.

This area was being well used and I realised that many families were here in particular with their kids to have coffee or eat at the cafes.

Fun thing here. As I was leaving the park, walking up the slope to the exit, a guy, who was just entering came up to me and spoke in Moldovan to me. I replied back in English apologising that I don’t speak Moldovan and does he speak English? He looked surprised to be spoken to in English as he clearly mistook me for a local.

He replied back in good English and we laughed. He then asked me if I knew where a certain café was as he was meeting friends there. As I had just walked past that one 5 mins beforehand, I could tell him which walkway to walk down and what to look for. We chatted a bit more as he was recently working in the UK and was interested in why I was here – he said they don’t get that many tourist in Chisinau.

It was fun to talk to a local and this time in English, not French – I really must learn Moldovan now!

Chisinau City History Museum

The exit from the park took me past this.

It is an old water tower but is also cleverly disguised as the Chisinau City History Museum, From the top there is apparently, a great view over the nearby city area and Valea Morilor Park.

I took the pic of this attractive and unusual building/tower but skipped the museum. Reviews say whilst it is small but nice it’s not a must see for me. My legs were also aching after today’s massive walkabout and as the hotel was only a 15 minute walk away I was eager to get back and rest.

My Thoughts on Chisinau

I’ve already given you my view that Chisinau enchants me. Yep, again, it is rough round the edges – it is a poor city and has much to overcome. However, the seeds of progress are there. Where squares, parks and buildings have been renovated and refurbished they have done it so well.

There is much old Stalinist and bland 80’s Soviet edifices around – but that gives Chisinau a unique window into past architectural styles. If, like the Parliament building and the many churches, they refurbish them back to their original glory, then they are unique edifices to view, .

There is a hustle-bustle in the city that I enjoy, locals are busy going about their daily lives. With the few tourists I saw, that gives you a real feel that you are in a real working city, away from the falseness and pretence of many tourist’s actions.

The people were lovely, polite and industrious. I loved the green parks and the numerous markets, I adored the variety of buildings, both ancient and Soviet. The new stores were magnificent and many, especially the restaurants would give London and Paris a run for their money in style and tidiness.

Chisinau is also incredibly cheap – and that is always a  good thing for me, as a tourist on a limited budget. However, search the city for unique museums and art galleries and you will find them in abundance.

The city is small enough to be walkable – good in that way, as it doesn’t have a Metro and I felt incredibly safe and secure here.

In a nutshell, Chisinau is one of my top 5 cities in Europe to explore and I just know I will be back here when I can.

Sept 2018

Below are some related posts on nearby places to visit. Click on the pic to view.