Things to see and do Moldova

Here begins the course of the Dniestr on Moldavian territory. Naslavcea is the northernmost village of the country and its banks offer a splendid landscape. The region is characterized by gently sloping plains and hills, but also numerous rivers and steep areas of limestone rock. The forests cover nearly 7,200 hectares and are home to the oldest villages such as Grinăuţi, Ocniţa, Lipnic or Mihălăşeni. In Naslavcea, the rivers meander like a ribbon, drawing strange and sublime landscapes. The village was founded on the banks of the Dniestr, where dry summers formed "fords" (vaduri), which disappeared in 1936 when the riverbed rose. On the other bank of the Dniestr, you can see Ukraine.

There are three nature reserves in the Naslavcea region:

Ripa lui Carp, on the banks, where the shale layers are full of fossil footprints of flora and fauna. The area is also rich in phosphorus called ghiule.

Ripa Rocilor, which extends close to the village. Singular for their geological diversity, the rocks present here are very varied, for connoisseurs (chalk, schist, flint in various shades).

Finally, Treizeci si trei of Vaduri (Thirty-three Ges), here the river is very eventful, with waterfalls, rocks with beautiful strata. Not far away is an old stone mill. Near the village flows a mineral water source rich in radium and uranium.

This small tourist agency run by Vitalii Dascal was founded in April 2010. It can help you to discover the city and the localities of the surroundings. Various services are offered. The agency can organize excursions to the region's tourist attractions (museums, cemeteries, churches, monasteries, natural sites...), guided tours, help you with hotel reservations and transportation. The director of this tourist agency knows his region well and will be happy to help you discover it.

In 1959, following an explosion triggered for the extraction of gypsum, this huge cave was discovered. Situated on the outskirts of the village of Criva, it is one of the largest gypsum caves in the world, which the locals call "Cenusareasa" (The Cinderella). It is 91 km long and has a vertical drop of 50 metres. In 1969, a group of geographers from the Moldavian Academy of Sciences entered it for the first time, and in 1977 a map and the architecture of the complex were determined.

The cavers discovered several rooms, the largest of which are called "the 100-metre room" and "the waiting room". In most of them, the ceiling is vaulted, the height can reach 11 m, the width of the tunnels 30 to 40 m, their length 60 to 100 m. In the "waiting room", eleven columns support the ceiling. In some rooms, there are gigantic stones or crystals in animal-like shapes ("the penguin room", "the dinosaur cemetery"). The empty spaces inside the cave have three to four levels, the most accessible being the two intermediate levels. The upper level is in places inaccessible and the lower level is still wet, and toxic underground gas vapours persist. The karst lakes discovered inside the cave also have their names ("green lake", "blue lake", "transparent lake"). The water of these lakes is very rich in minerals and has healing properties.

The Ciaica tourist agency is located in the centre of Orhei, near the town hall, the court and the park. It offers different types of services and can organize excursions to the attractions of the area (Vartely Castle, Orhei Vechi...). The agency can book hotels in Moldova or abroad, plane tickets and organize your transportation. The agency's website provides some information (in Romanian and Russian).

The town hall of Călărași can provide you with practical information about the city, its attractions and the surrounding area. The city is ancient and is said to have been named after horsemen whose function was to protect the region from Ottoman and Tatar invaders. During the Soviet era, the city underwent industrial development. Nowadays, the town is twinned with Villefranche-sur-Saône: the love of wine and the French-speaking world unite these two localities. Tourist information is available in the library.

The town hall of Vărzărești can provide some practical information about the surroundings.

Ștefan Vodă appeared on a map of the region for the first time in 1884. The town was formerly called Kizil, then Suvorov in Soviet times. It had a strong German community. The town hall is located in the centre of the town, 250 m from the bus station. It is a building with typical Soviet architecture and nearby there is a statue of Ștefan cel Mare. The town hall and its website can provide you with useful information about the locality, its attractions and public events. Restaurants and bars are nearby.

Ungheni Town Hall can provide you with information on local attractions. A number of celebrities are from Ungheni: Shmuel Cohen (composer of the Israeli national anthem), A. L. Diamond (Oscar winning screenwriter in 1960), Lidia Hlib (children's writer), Ilie Cojocaru (plastic artist), Victor Cobzac (plastic artist), Dumitru Verdianu (sculptor), Ion Zderciuc (sculptor), Valeriu Curtu (cartoonist), Victor Crudu (plastic artist), Valentina Delion (athlete), Dana Marchitan (singer), Ioana Isac (poet)..

Zubrești is a small village in the district of Strășeni. It has a high school, a church, a stadium, a hospice, a post office and a distillery. Founded in 1994, this small local wine factory is known for its fortified wines and white table wines. The production is made from local vines with indigenous and other more common varieties. In order to find out if it is possible to visit the premises, it is recommended to contact this establishment. The wine from Zubrești can be purchased locally, in local or nearby shops.

The locality was first mentioned in a document in 1545. It developed strongly in the 20th century to become an important industrial centre in the country. The town hall of Strășeni stands out for its salmon-pink colour and its architecture typical of the public buildings of the Soviet period, with its pediment with columns. Information about the town and its surroundings, places to visit and public events can be found on site or on the town hall's website. The Ghidighici lake is 5 m to the south-east.

This winemaking company was founded in 1994 but the factory itself dates back to 1944. The estate owns 320 ha of vines and produces about 3 to 3.5 million bottles a year. Production includes dry, sweet and sparkling wines exported to Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, China, the United States, Israel, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine. This wine company has modern equipment, technologies and production methods.

The town hall can provide you with practical information and places to visit in the surrounding area. Criuleni was already mentioned in a document of 1607 mentioning its purchase by Nicoară Donici. A wooden church was built in 1796 and a stone church in 1814. In 1836 the town hosted two big markets on the occasion of St. George's Day (23 April) and the Feast of the Intercession of the Mother of God (¹ October). In the middle of the 19th century, the town had four wool dyeing factories, an alcohol factory, an inn and a tavern.

This 32 ha bison reserve is part of the nature reserve of Pădurea Domnească (which covers 6,032 ha and was opened in 1993). You enter through a magnificent carved wooden gate. Originally, in 2005, the Polish government donated three bison to Moldova, one male and two females. By the 1920s, this species had almost disappeared. By 1947, only thirty-nine were left in the world and seventeen in Europe. Today there are 3,500, but that is still too few. There are seven in this reserve, two females and five males. These are fragile animals that require great care and special conditions. The director of the reserve must report regularly on the condition of his buffalo. The bison are not really wild because they are already accustomed to humans. They can grow up to 3.5 m long. Other animals living in the reserve include horses, badgers, deer, roe deer, wild boar, martens, mink, otters and feral cats. There is also a large colony of herons. A beautiful covered wooden bridge overlooks one of the plots and provides a good view of the bison. The bison reserve and the nature reserve at Pădurea Domnească will delight children and nature lovers. The places are magnificent and perfect to recharge your batteries in the peace and quiet of nature.

The bison's "cousin", the aurochs, appears on the national coat of arms of Moldova (in the coat of arms in the centre of the eagle).

The Codri Nature Reserve was created in 1926 by a group of nature lovers who wanted to protect the environmental heritage of the area. These early environmentalists created thirteen forest areas, including the Lozova Forest and Căpriana. The Council of Ministers of Romania (Moldova was then called Bessarabia and was reunited with Romania in 1918) decided on 19 July 1937 to classify these places as "natural monuments". During the Soviet era, the protection of the sites continued with the creation on 15 April 1946 of a nature protection commission within the Moldovan branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. On 27 September 1971, the Codrii State Forest Reserve was established and the total area of all protected sites was 2740 ha, with a strictly protected area of 723 ha. In 1975 other wooded areas were placed under protection, extending the area to 5,009 ha. During the Soviet period, members of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, the State University of Chișinău and the State University of Tiraspol, carried out a great deal of on-site research, such as the mapping of the hydrological network in 1977. Today the reserve is divided into a strictly protected area of 720 ha, a buffer zone of 4,455.8 ha and a transition zone of 12,300 ha. The reserve is home to various species of fauna and flora that you can observe while walking in these enchanting places.

Located north of Țaul, the village of Plop was already mentioned in a document of 1559. It is located on a hill and extends to the banks of the Cubolta river. It is famous for its "valley of springs" (called in Romanian izvoarele satului Plop, "the springs of the village of Plop"). These have been known since antiquity and spring from a slope made of Sarmatian limestone. For a long time, the water from the springs of Plop has been believed to have healing properties. Originally, there were about 50 springs, but many disappeared due to landslides or lack of maintenance. This natural hydrological monument has been under state protection since 1998. Starting in 2010, many springs were cleaned and restored. They are surrounded by small stone pavilions resembling small castles, with crenellations and a red pointed roof. The surrounding area has been redeveloped to create a recreation area for villagers and tourists passing through. The flow rate of the spring is 120 l per minute. The spring water is potable and its quality is frequently monitored. Water from one of the springs is bottled locally and sold under the name Aqua-Plop. This hydrocarbon sulphate water is rich in sodium, calcium and magnesium.

The place is quiet and charming, perfect for a walk. A path leads to the springs which are surrounded by willows. In the village of Plop, you can also visit the church of Saints-Archanges-Michel-et-Gabriel.

The gorges are located southwest of the village of Trinca and are crossed by the river Draghiște, which dug these limestone rocks. They extend over 58.3 ha and form a valley 500 m long, 200 m wide and 40 m deep. The places will delight the amateurs of walks in an exceptional setting. The slopes of the gorges shelter caves that were used by Neanderthal hunters. Several hundred animal bones have been found there, including about fifteen bears. The site was placed under state protection in 1975 and this status was renewed in 1998. The site is of great scientific interest to archaeologists and geologists, but it is threatened by the uncontrolled extraction of limestone. Trinca Lime is renowned in the country but the quarry from which its raw material was extracted has been exhausted. This activity and the production of lime have caused environmental damage. In recent years, Moldovan parliamentarians have taken an interest in this problem and measures have been taken to safeguard this important natural heritage.

From the top of the cliffs, you can enjoy a superb panorama. Herds of goats can sometimes be seen coming from farms in the surrounding area. At the bottom of the canyon, the banks of the Draghiște are lined with trees and offer a charming spot for a cool picnic in the summer. It is a beautiful and exotic place. In Trinca as in other natural sites, don't forget to respect the environment!

The nature reserve at Fetești is also called "Little Switzerland" because of the relief of its landscapes. Located about ten kilometres from the Prut in the west and the river Racovăț in the east, it covers 563 ha and is under the protection of the local authorities. The reserve is made up of many varieties of trees, such as hornbeams growing on rocky slopes, oaks, ash, cherry, hazelnut and hawthorn. There are also about 160 plant species. Going down 5 km to the south, you can see the parade of Burlănești. It covers 10 ha and is protected by the state. The river Draghiște crosses this area in long meanders surrounding rocky promontories and small limestone plateaux. The Grandfather's rock (stânca lui Bunic) can be seen here. The gorge is 140 m deep and has caves. The area is of archaeological value: fossils of ectoproteins, prehistoric animal bones and flint tools from the Paleolithic period have been found here. Following the river Draghiște, we reach the Buzdugeni and Brînzeni gorges. South of the village of Gordinești you can admire a gorge in the middle of the forest called the Castle (la Castel). Finally, between Fetești and Gordinești, there is a quarry with impressive rock formations.

The nature reserve of Fetești and its surroundings are perfect for long hikes in the middle of nature, in a magnificent setting.