Moldova
Saturday 6th June 2026
Today we said farewell to Romania. We crossed the Prut River into the Republic of Moldova.
We enjoyed a scenic drive through northern Moldova before arriving late afternoon in Chisinau, the country’s lively capital.
Our stop for the next few nights is the Bristol Central Park Hotel.
We are up on level 11 with a great view.
It is a lovely room. We were not sure what to expect, but it exceeded our expectations.
Sunday 7th June 2026
Today we wandered around Chisinau. We had a late start to avoid the rain, as it poured while we were at breakfast with rivers running down the road. By the time we headed off, it had brightened up a bit.
Our hotel is almost next door to The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ which dominates the park. It is a pale walled Orthodox church topped with a black dome. It was built in 1830. The bell tower was destroyed in 1962 and rebuilt in 1997. During the Soviet period, the cathedral served as an exhibition space, but religious services resumed following Moldovan independence in 1992.
Beside the cathedral was the Monument to the Three Martyrs.
We then headed up to Great National Assembly Square where the Arch of Triumph is located. It is also called "Holy Gates". Under the USSR it was called "Victory Arch". The Triumphal Arch is a historical monument. It was erected to commemorate the victory of the Russian army over the Ottoman troops in the War of 1806-1812.
The Government House is the primary administrative building of the Republic of Moldova, this too is located on the Great National Assembly Square.
We then wandered along Stefan cel Mare Boulevard. It is the central axis and most important street in Chișinău. Named after the 15th-century prince Stephen the Great, this 3.8-kilometre-long thoroughfare connects the city's main districts and serves as the hub for major political, cultural, and social events.
The National Opera and Ballet Theatre.
At the entrance of the Stephen the Great Central Park stands the Stephen the Great Monument, honouring the medieval ruler who defended Moldavia against the Ottomans.
This park is lined with trees and busts of Romanian and Moldovian cultural figures.
Plus a central water feature which unfortunately was not working.
There was a lovely little cafe in the middle.
Monument to Alexander Pushkin, the Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.
The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova is the country's supreme representative and legislative body.
The Moldovan Crest.
The Presidential Palace of Moldova is the official residence and primary workplace of the President of Moldova. The high-tech, glass-clad structure originally served as the meeting place for the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR.
The National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History is the oldest public museum in the Republic of Moldova.
The Chișinău Water Tower was built at the end of 19th century.
We visited Valea Morilor Park, a favourite escape for locals. We started at the top of the Cascade steps where the view opens out over the park and its lake – an unexpectedly beautiful sight in the middle of Chişinău.
View from the bottom.
A cute sculpture by the lake.
We stopped to see the Litte Prince. At less than four inches in height, this iconic fictional character is the smallest public statue in all of Moldova.
What goes down, must go up, so we climbed up a different set of steps on our way out.
After wandering some of the back streets we ended up at the other end of Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare, where the classical buildings are replaced with walls of Soviet-era flats rising above the boulevard.
Ștefan cel Mare Boulevard ends at United Nations Square which was formerly called Liberation Square. The Monument of Liberation was erected in 1969.
The Constantin Brâncuși Exhibition Centre is hard to miss thanks to the line of monumental female sculptures clinging to its façade.
Ciuflea Monastery, is one of Chişinău’s most striking religious landmarks. Its blue walls and gleaming cupolas are distinctly Russian Orthodox. It was built in the mid-19th century.
While we were inside, we got to experience a baptism.
We stopped for some lunch at the famous La Plăcinte which is a popular restaurant chain in Chișinău serving traditional Moldovan comfort food. They are famous for their namesake plăcinte (stuffed savoury or sweet pies). We had a plate of savoury pies stuffed with cheese and dill, meats, potato and onion and picked cabbage. They were all tasty.
Then Bogdan suggested dessert. We had cherry crepes, famously known as Cușma lui Guguță (Guguță's Hat). It consists of thin, rolled pancakes stuffed with sour cherries, stacked in a pyramid shape, and generously smothered in sweet cream and chocolate. Another yum.
Back on the main Boulevard, you can’t miss Hotel Național. It was part of the Soviet-era “Intourist” hotel network, and it has not been used as a hotel since the early 90s. The balconies are painted in flag colours – a symbol of past times to be preserved for others.
Hotel Chisinau.
Some of the other old buildings.
Chișinău City Hall is a historical and architectural monument built in Italian Gothic style. Originally constructed to house the city Duma in 1901, the building was nearly destroyed during World War II.
Initially, the Organ Hall building was designed as the City Bank. Before 1974 the building hosted different financial institutions, including the National Bank. The decision to make it a concert hall was taken by the then leader of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ivan Bodil.
The Mihai Eminescu National Theatre is one of the oldest and most prominent cultural institutions in Moldova.
A soviet era building. The reliefs strongly match 1960 to 1980s Soviet modernist public buildings.
Eugen Doga Pedestrian street is a picturesque cobbled street with statues, outdoor seating, smaller boutique shops, and cafés.
Some of the buildings off Eugen Doga street.
On Constantin Negruzzi Square, you can see another relic of the Soviet era. The Cosmos Hotel opened in 1983, it was meant to be space-age, with its honeycomb balconies, sloping roof, and huge illuminated rooftop sign. It’s now looking very old, and is currently closed.
The Grigory Kotovsky Statue commemorates his role in the Russian Civil War. He’s a Soviet military officer and political activist.
Chisinau Railway Station.
Near the station is a memorial to victims of Stalinist repression. The monument commemorates the 1940-1951 mass deportations in Soviet Times.
Monday 8th June 2026
Our first stop this morning was the Eternity Memorial Complex.
The monument was inaugurated on May 9, 1975, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II. During the Soviet period the complex was known as the “Victory Memorial”.
There are 5 large pyramid-shaped structures, representing rifles, each 25 metres high, that meet in a star formation, with the Eternal Flame at the centre.
Around the complex are several large stone stela. They symbolise some particular milestones of World War II, including the very first days and ending with the day of the Great Victory.
A smaller memorial commemorates Moldovan soldiers who were awarded the highest honours for their service during the war.
At the western edge of the complex is the ‘Heroes Cemetery’ where there are a number of memorials, as well as individual graves, to Red Army soldiers who died in Chișinău, either during battles within Chișinău itself in 1941 or in nearby battles towards the end of the conflict in Moldova. In this part of the complex as well as white pillars with the names of individual soldiers there’s a symbolic belfry and a massive bronze laurel crown which is inscribed with the words ‘We didn’t forget you’.
The Temple of Suffering is a dedicated memorial specifically built to honour the victims of the 1992 Transnistrian War.
We then headed out of Chisinau.
We drove around an hour to see the Curchi Monastery. The monastery is situated in the Vatici valley on a bank of the Vatic River. The monastery has a rich religious and cultural past spanning more than two centuries. It was founded in 1773-1775 and became one of the richest, most beautiful, and largest monasteries in Moldova. Views of the monastery from across the lake.
The entrance to the complex.
Several churches were built on the monastery’s premises. The Monastery's main church, the cathedral Nasterea Domnului, was built in baroque style, inspired by the church of St. Andrew in Kiev. The cathedral has the highest dome in Moldova, rising to a height of 57 metres.
The inside of the church.
We also visited St Nicholas Church.
We then visited the famous Cricova Wine Cellars.
Cricova is not only a wine cellar, it’s a big underground city, which is 80 metres underground. There are 120 kilometres of labyrinthine roadways and over 1.3 million bottles of wine. A map of the underground city.
We did a tour underground in an electric vehicle. The entrance to the underground.
We drove around the wine barrels and sparkling wine areas.
They even have a cinema where we watched a short film about the winery.
The roads all have street signs.
We then wandered around to see an underground chapel, museum and storage of old wine collections.
Of course, we also did some wine tasting in one of the many beautiful rooms they have just for this purpose.
Tuesday 9th June 2026
After an early breakfast we went for a walk to see if we could find a cute sculpture we had seen a picture of. We managed to find it. There were 2 parts to it. Firstly 2 kids sitting on a bench and the second part was a cat and some pigeons.
We then headed back out of Chisinau and travelled north through the beautiful landscape of Orheiul Vechi. It is Moldova’s most iconic historical and cultural site.
We stopped to buy the entrance tickets and laughed at the resourcefulness of the locals. We hadn’t seen a taxi like this before.
We parked the car and wandered through the little village of Butuceni, with colourful houses and gates, historic rock walls and wells.
We had some lovely views as we climbed up to the top of the hill.
We then visited Orheiul Vechi monastery which is dedicated to the Ascension of Saint Mary. The monks have really looked after the gardens.
The 17th century stone cross.
Views from the cross.
Carved directly into the limestone cliffs by Orthodox monks back in the 13th century, is the rock-hewn Orthodox monastery. There is now a bell tower and entrance to enter the old cave monastery.
The stone entrance way.
It features a working chapel and sleeping chambers where the monks used to live.
It even has a balcony with breathtaking views of the Raut river.
On our way back we stopped to see the monastery from afar. You could see all the caves in the cliffs where even more of the monastery used to be.
We then returned to Chisinau for the night.
Wednesday 10th June 2026
This morning we left Chisinau for our big adventure to Transnistria. The Smart Traveller website advises not to travel to this region, but it was something that we really wanted to do so we could learn more about the area.
Along the way there were poppies everywhere.
We then visited the Purcari Winery. Founded in 1827, it is the oldest winery in Moldova, which in 2 centuries managed to become a well-regarded winery in Central and Western Europe.
We did a tour around the winery and finished off with some wine tasting.
We enjoyed a lovely lunch outside under the trees. We had to laugh. Shanes phone pinged and it said welcome to Ukraine. So we are pretty close to the border again.
We then continued eastward, crossing into the self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria. It effectively seceded from Chisinau in 1992 following a war. Since the war and the Russian military intervention of 1992, which led to the permanent stationing of Russian troops in Transnistria, the region has referred to itself as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR) and has declared its independence. However, Transnistria (PMR) is not recognised by any country in the world, not even by the Russian Federation, which is responsible for its establishment and ensures its continued existence.
There is a checkpoint near Tiraspol where we had to stop and get approval to enter and stay in the region. This is our ID Migration Card. I have blanked out a lot of the personal stuff.
We then headed south-east to Noui Neamt Monastery which is located in Chitscani. It was founded in 1861 by monks. Its tall bell tower, fresco lined chapels and peaceful courtyards reflected a mix of Byzantine and Bessarabian style.
The entrance.
There are several churches inside the monastery. The main church is the Holy Ascension Cathedral.
The Winter Assumption Church.
The Saint Nicholas Seminary Church.
A little chapel.
We climbed the bell tower where we had views of the monastery and views across to Tiraspol where we are staying the night.
After a short drive we had arrived in Tiraspol, crossing a single lane bridge across the Dniester River. The Dniester is a transboundary river that runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova, finally discharging into the Black Sea on Ukrainian territory again.
We arrived in Tiraspol, the regions capital. Our hotel was the Hotel Russia.
We enjoyed a lovely Russian dinner of various tasting plates.
After dinner we went for a walk. Every Soviet city has a park of victory, for Tiraspol it is the Park Pobeda. In 1947 the park was made on the outskirts of the city for recreation. Since then Tiraspol has extended its borders and it is now right in town.
In 1960 a monument to G.I. Kotovsky, Soviet military and political figure of the Civil War and participant of revolutionary movement, was put up in the centre of the park.
Whilst walking around the park, we found an old Ferris wheel.
We then headed back towards the hotel and found the Nadejda Aronetskaya Theatre of Drama and Comedy. In 1929, Tiraspol became the capital of the Moldavian Autonomous SSR. An architectural boom dawned upon the city that granted modern Tiraspol a magnificent theatre in the Neoclassicism style. Since 1936, three troupes worked in the theatre – Russian, Ukrainian and Moldavian. In the 1940s, the theatre shut due to the war and during the war years, the building was badly damaged, and it was only possible to restore it in 1963.
Who would have thought we would see a Harry Potter sculpture in Transnistria.
The Yuri Gagarin statue in Tiraspol is a relic of the Soviet era, celebrating the first human in space. It was erected in 1977 on Gagarin Boulevard, right next to the Pridnestrovian State University. Tiraspol preserves much of its Soviet heritage, and the street itself was renamed to honor Gagarin practically on the day of his historic 1961 spaceflight.
There was also a big painting of him.
Monument to A.S. Pushkin. The great Russian poet visited Bendery in 1821 and 1824 during his exile to the south of the Russian Empire.
Sunset by the Memorial of Glory.
The bridge and river in the evening.
Thursday 11th June 2026
This morning we drove out to the Tighina Fortress (also known at Bender Fortress) to visit the 15th-century fortress on the right bank of the Dniester River in Bender. It was built from earth and wood during the reign of Prince Stephen the Great. In 1538 it was conquered by the Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who ordered it to be rebuilt in stone and enlarged.
The prison cells.
The Alexander Nevsky Church is a stunning Byzantine-style Orthodox church constructed in 1833. It is located directly within the grounds of the historic Bender Fortress, it is the only active military temple in the region and one of the oldest religious buildings in the city.
Just outside the fortress walls, there is a park containing a bust of the Russian Prince Alexander Nevsky who the church is named after.
While in Bender we also visited the Palace of Culture. The buildings facade features massive ceramic mosaic panels. The artwork depicts the idealised unity of industry and agriculture in the former Moldavian SSR.
The left side shows an industrial worker and a weaver and the right side displays a traditional shepherd with a flute and a peasant harvesting grapes.
The sign on the entrance is shown in 3 languages, as here in PMR it is Russian, Ukrainian and Moldovan.
Inside there were amazing paintings that looked like mosaics reflecting their history.
Out the front of the Palace of Culture is a red marble statue of Pavel Tkachenko, a local revolutionary and underground worker who fought against the Romanian occupation of Bessarabia.
We then visited the Monument to the Fighters for State Soviet Power in Bender. It was built in 1969 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1919 Bender Bolshevik uprising against Romanian occupation. The 18-meter concrete structure features mosaic panels and a banner bearing the slogan "Power To The Soviets!".
The Memorial of Military Glory in Bender commemorates soldiers who died in the Soviet-Afghan War and the 1992 Transnistria War. It features a Soviet T-34 tank and an eternal flame that continuously burns honouring fallen soldiers.
There is a Memorial Wall which features plaques listing the names of locals who died in the Afghan War and the Transnistria conflict, alongside a chapel and memorial cross. There is also a statue dedicated to the Russian General Alexandr Lebed who played a key role in the 1992 war.
A PMR monument.
We then returned to Tiraspol where we had lunch at a great restaurant, called Back to the USSR. It is a fantastic setting with authentic Soviet era paraphernalia dotted about the place.
There was even a soviet uniform to wear for photos, so of course Shane had to do it. Of course all very serious.
The food was traditional Russian food. It was all lovely. The menu cover.
The bill came in a Matryoshka doll.
We then did some more sight seeing in Tiraspol. It was such a hot day walking around today. It got to 32 degrees.
Along the main boulevard, you find the House of the Soviets. Constructed in the style of Stalinist Empire architecture, the four-storey building is now home to the city council of Tiraspol. The main entrance to the premises is reached via a ten-column portico and the structure is topped with a spire on which there is a five-pointed Red Star. In front of the building is a bust of Vladimir Lenin.
Alongside the House of Soviets is a wall of famous people who live in the area.
We climbed up an old fire station tower to see views of the city.
A lovely monument to Valentina Solovieva who had a huge impact on the textile industry of Tiraspol and turned the garment association into one of the leading manufacturers of garments in the USSR.
The Presidential Palace serves as the official administrative headquarters and residence for the President of the unrecognised Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic . Located in the heart of the capital city, this imposing structure reflects heavily preserved Soviet-style architecture. The building features a large, well-preserved statue of Vladimir Lenin standing directly in its front courtyard.
The Tiraspol cinema.
A time capsule. It was opened once and a new one has now been placed behind the scrolls to be opened in 2040.
We found a colourful Tiraspol sign. We used google translate to see what it said.
The City House of Culture.
This miniature perfectly recreates the original star-shaped earthen Sredinnaya Fortress, which dates back to the late 18th century and is the reason Tiraspol was founded.
The memorial of Glory at Suvorov square remembers those who died in the Great Patriotic War (WW2), the Soviet-Afghan war and the Transnistria war. There are several memorials located at the square, including an eternal flame.
The memorial also included one for the Chernobyl Disaster, as a lot of Transnistrians volunteered to help with the clean up and died later.
A memorial for the unknown soldiers.
Surovov Square is the main square in Tiraspol. In the square is the monument to Alexander Suvorov.
To the left-hand side of the square, you can find the largest national emblem in the country. This is the coat of arms of Transnistria consisting of the hammer and sickle, and depictions of bread, grapes, corn, and potatoes.
The flags represent all of the districts in Transnistria.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the republic, Tiraspol was transformed beyond recognition. Catherine Park is a symbolic park that was named after the Russian empress who signed the decree to found Tiraspol. There is a 4.5-metre-high monument to the Russian empress.
Out the front of the park are bus stopped shaped like carriages.
Besides the park is an old coffee machine.
There was also a Tiraspol sign out the front of the park. It said “Tiraspol, only the best”
A memorial to Nikolay Zelinsky, an outstanding chemist born in Tiraspol who invented the first effective, activated-charcoal filtering gas mask in 1915.
We then took a walk along the river. We could see the bridge we arrived on yesterday, a beach the locals use and a small ferry.
The Pridnestrovian Ruble is the official monetary unit of the PMR . It has been in circulation since August 22, 1994. The sculpture of a graphic symbol of the PMR Ruble with a coin of one Ruble was installed in 2014 in honour of the 20th anniversary of the Pridnestovian Ruble.
There was some lovely art on the buildings.
Some other street signs and signs.
Soviet era artwork on the side of the Palace of the Republic in Tiraspol.
Their old buses.
A Russian vehicles museum.
Buildings have the PMR and Russian flags flying.
They used to have plastic coins, which are now advertised to buy as souvenirs.
The Monument to Aviators (also known as the MiG-19 Monument) is a Soviet war memorial featuring a real silver Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 jet fighter mounted on a concrete pedestal pointing dramatically skyward. It honours the Soviet pilots of the 17th Air Army (part of the 3rd Ukrainian Front) who liberated Tiraspol from Nazi and Romanian Axis occupation in 1944.
We stopped at the PMR check point again and then returned to Chisinau.
Friday 12th June 2026
We had a full day today, venturing to the northern city of Soroca, perched along the banks of the Dniester River, right near the Ukranian border. It was considerably cooler today, only a high of 17 degrees, with quite a bit of rain. We joked that it was preparing us for our return home to winter.
We explored Soroca Fortress. The Soroca Fortress was built by Stephen the Great in the last quarter of the 15th century. According to local tradition, its name comes from the fact that the ruler set a “deadline” (the term “sorok” meaning forty days) for the construction of the fortress. The Soroca Fortress was constructed as a defensive stronghold against the predatory Tatar hordes that invaded Moldova through the Dniester crossings. Soroca is a small fortification, a castle that sheltered guards against the Tatars.
Views from the fortress.
Right across the river is Ukraine.
We then visited the “Candle of Gratitude” monument, dramatically set on a hilltop above the river. The monument pays homage to all the heroes of the country who always worked to preserve the culture and traditions of Moldova.
The views from the monument were even more stunning, even with some rain. Once again, right across the river is Ukraine.
On our way back to Chisinau we stopped at the well known Epoca de Piatră (The Stone Age). It is set in an old limestone mine at a depth of 60 metres.
The restaurant is carved entirely into the rock, featuring stone/wood interiors, cave paintings, and cozy fireplaces. Temperatures remain a constant 12 to 14 degrees celcius all year round.
For dinner, we shared a pork knuckle plate with pickled cabbage and fried polenta.
We arrived back in Chisinau and said farewell to Bogdan. Our last night in Moldova. We have really enjoyed it here. It was all a pleasant surprise. The food, people, scenery and history were terrific. We are so glad we put this not often visited country on our itinerary.
Saturday 13th June 2026
Today we were up early to get to the airport for our 6.30am flight to Vienna, then on to Frankfurt and then a connecting flight to Hong Kong then Melbourne. Once again, we had changed our flights from Doha just in case. Another adventure has come to an end.
This featured blog entry was written by shaneandnicola from the blog Europe 2026.
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