Kishenev has a popular airport where low-cost carriers fly, so there are a lot of tourists passing through Europe’s most boring capital. We were traveling by car from Ukraine and stopped to spend the night and see the city. The day spent here is the most pointless in all my travels. I will tell you what you can expect from Chisinau.
Moldova is a member of the European Union but uses its own currency, the Moldovan leu: 100 lei (MDL) = 5.21 EUR.
Top tip: prepare for your trip in advance, check bus schedules, routes and money exchange points. The locals are not very friendly and it is better not to rely on their help.
The Russian language is taboo here. Many people fundamentally did not want to talk to us when they heard Russian. Even the police! The policeman we asked for directions looked at us silently and smiled, while his friend joked. We never got an answer.
The conductor in the trolleybus refused to speak Russian or English, pretended not to understand and explained something to me in Romanian, but at the final station she spoke in Russian: «Get off already. The end station.»
Chisinau Sights
The atmosphere in the city is boring, it is a typical Soviet city. My friend and I were looking for sights and beautiful places, but Chisinau failed to please our eyes.
I’ll tell you about the main attractions and you’ll understand why you shouldn’t spend a lot of time sightseeing, but rather go straight to the food.
National Museum of History of Moldova (Muzeul Național de Istorie a Moldovei)
This museum is considered one of the main tourist attractions in the country. It contains more than 300 thousand items that familiarize you with the country and its history. The museum is suitable for those who love history, the rest can move on.
- Opening hours: November — March 10:00 — 17:00, April — October 10:00 — 18:00. Friday is a day off.
- The ticket price for an adult is 10 MDL.
Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ (Catedrala Nasterea Domnului)
The main temple of the city is located on the territory of the cathedral square in the center of Chisinau. The construction was completed in 1836 according to the project of architect Avraham Melnikov. I was not impressed by the cathedral, how about you? I have never seen a more boring facade. There are no treasures or works of art inside either.
- Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Victory Arch (Arcul de Triumf)
The Triumphal Arch of Kishinev was erected in 1840 to house a 6.4 tons bell cast for the Cathedral. When the huge bell was delivered to the church, it turned out that the windows of the belfry were too small for it. It was then decided to build an arch and place it on the second tier.
The history and purpose of the Arch is a subject of controversy. Some believe that it was erected in honor of the victory in the Russo-Turkish war, while others say that the victory is just a cover-up invented during the Soviet era, when the authorities could not accept the fact that in the center of Chisinau stands a religious object. Which of these is true remains a mystery, but the Arch is definitely the most photogenic building in the city.
Military Museum
The Kishinev Museum of Military Equipment is worth a visit if you are partial to history and military vehicles. It exhibits weapons that have been used in Moldova over the past decades — from Katyusha to anti-aircraft missiles. The museum is cramped, the exhibits are densely placed, although there are not many people.
- Open Tuesday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday is a day off.
Aleea Clasicilor (Classics Alley)
We decided to take a break from the noise of the city in the central park «Stefan cel Mare». Here there is an alley of classics. On both sides of the alley are bronze busts of famous people involved in the history of Moldova — sounds good. In fact, we saw a few sculptures and Soviet grayness in the park.
Water tower (Castelul de apă din Chişinău)
The tower is the same age as the city’s first water pipe, once it filled the city’s communications with water. Today it is an architectural monument and a historical museum building.
The tower survived the war, was used as a fire tower and survived more than one earthquake. It was originally built of wood and became stone in 1980. The tower is the only place I can recommend, and only to see the panorama of Chisinau.
The cost of admission for adults is 10 MDL.
The main thing in Chisinau: gastronomic tour of the Moldovan capital
Gastrotourism is also not about Moldova yet, but Moldovan cuisine has a better chance of attracting tourists than Chisinau’s sights. For me, it was the food and wine that turned out to be the most vivid memories of the city. Moldovan cuisine is reminiscent of Ukrainian cuisine, especially in the Carpathian region.
Tasty and not expensive national cuisine can be tasted in La Placinte, La Taifas, Salciora. In La Placinte you can order food to go. We arrived in Chisinau at 4 a.m., but even at that time food was delivered to us.
Moldavian dishes
The main product of Moldovan cuisine is bryndza made of sheep’s milk. Moldovans add bryndza to salads, meat and vegetable dishes and eat it as an appetizer. You can also try bryndza at the market, where sellers will gladly give you a piece.
Corn is a popular product in Moldavia, although until the XVIII century corn dishes were considered food for the poor. Corn is used to make porridge, bread and one of the main national dishes — mamaliga. It is served with brynza, crackers, mushrooms, garlic or sour cream. A portion of mamalyga with brynza and sour cream costs 30 MDL.
Chorba is the first dish cooked on bread kvass with fresh vegetables and meat broth. The price of a serving is 40 MDL.
Vertutas are rolls of yeast dough filled with cottage cheese, cabbage, apple, cherry or meat. Costs 30—50 MDL per piece depending on the filling.
Placinda — flatbread pie with filling, made of yeast or puff pastry. Price: 30—45 MDL.
Mitei — grilled sausages without skin made of minced lamb and beef meat with garlic and pepper. Considered the national dish of Moldova and Romania. One serving of sausages is 70 MDL.
Zama is chicken broth with egg noodles and bran kvass, served with sour cream. Costs 40 MDL per serving.
In Moldovan cuisine, many dishes are made of vegetables — fried, boiled, pickled. Meat dishes are served with vegetables, and this is not only tasty, but also healthy. Instead of tea and coffee, Moldovans prefer freshly squeezed juices, sours and compotes.
Moldavian wine
The main drink of the national Moldovan cuisine is red wine. There is a wide choice of wines, you can match a drink to any dish. The village of Merinei Noi produces Port Mereni (2004), which breaks the stereotypes of the 90s about port and proves that it is a prestigious drink. The wine is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes by rolling the barrels out into the open and letting them age in the sunlight. This process gives the wine a natural strength of no more than 15 degrees. Local port wine is much softer and more delicate than others. The cost of a bottle is 300 — 350 MDL.
In Soviet times, Moldova was famous for its sherry, which was known throughout the Union. The sherry is still produced today at the VINURI IALOVENI factory. Shervin laloveni (1990) has aromas of pears, apples and walnuts. Special Spanish yeast is added to make the drink, which forms a flor — a yeast layer on the surface of the grape must. The cost of a bottle is 170—200 MDL.
Rosé fans should try Rose Et Cetera, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, malbec and shiraz varieties. The rosé has a light flavor of grapefruit and white cherry. The price per bottle is 60—90 MDL.
White dessert wine of late harvest Chardonnay Botrytis made from Chardonnay grapes affected by mold. This special technology gives the wine a pleasant bitterness. Price per bottle 250—300 MDL.
You can buy Moldovan wines at Invino enoteca, Capre Diem Wine Shop or Vinoteca -Wine.md
Market in Chisinau
The market is the soul of the town. There you can taste cheese and homemade Moldovan wine, although they sell it here, as the locals told me, illegally. It was not easy to find wine at the market, but it is really good. To let us taste the wine, they took us behind the counter, but before they looked carefully around.
Local acquaintances advised to buy the drink in wine shops, because in the markets it is often diluted with water.
The day in Chisinau was one of the strangest in my travels. I have traveled a lot and hitchhiked around Europe and the Balkans, lived in dangerous places by koachesurfing, but I have never met so many strange things. During the day we met about 10 people who behaved unfriendly and even aggressive. After communicating with the locals, I had the feeling that it would be better to leave here, taking a bottle of chardonnay with you to calm your nerves.
