BEST THINGS TO DO IN CHISINAU MOLDOVA

Chisinau is the capital city of Moldova, Europe’s poorest and least visited country. A 2.5 million people nation landlocked between Ukraine and Romania. Despite being unknown to mass tourism, there’s lots of great things to do in Moldova, many of which are within Chisinau. Therefore, if you are preparing a trip to Chisinau, this post on the best things to do in Chisinau Moldova has you covered. 

This city mostly developed after WWII, so it’s home to endless soviet remnants. Nevertheless, unlike nearby Tiraspol, Chisinau is now a modern European city packed with nice cafes, restaurants, bars, museums, and shopping malls. To make the most of them, consider booking a guided walking tour of Chisinau.

Here you’ll find the best places to visit in Chisinau with their prices and opening hours. Along with tips on Chisinau sightseeing, best local dishes to try, and fun things to do in Old Town Chisinau. There’s lots of great things to do in Chisinau, and the following are my favourite. For additional insider tips on a trip to Moldova, check out my Instagram stories highlight on Moldova.

Things to do in downtown Chisinau Moldova

1. Mass at the Nativity Cathedral

Nativity Cathedral is Chisinau’s main religious landmark. A Eastern European Orthodox church built in the 1830s in neoclassical style with a beautiful colonnade and a stunning interior. And a symbol of resistance, as it was destroyed during WWII and used as an exhibition center during Soviet times yet it recently became a major Moldovan Orthodox Church once again.

The church stands in a park and has an external bell tower, like the one in Vilnius Lithuania. However, this is a reproduction of the 19th century one destroyed during the war. The Cathedral is open daily from 8am to 4pm (8pm on Saturdays) and free to visit. If you can, stay for a mass and observe locals pray, light candles, and listen to the sermons. Ladies, don’t forget head covers are encouraged in orthodox churches, especially when trying to blend in.

2. Walk by the Triumphal arch

The city’s Triumphal Arch is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Chisinau. It commemorates the victory of the Russian Empire over the Ottomans at the Russo-Turkish war. And is nicknamed the Holy Gate because it stands right by the nativity Cathedral.

It’s not possible to visit the inside of the arch nor to climb to its top. Thus, goodnews is it’s open 24/7 and free to admire from the outside. Additionally, as it stands in a very busy junction, the area hosts Chisinau‘s Christmas tree and many events throughout the year.

3. Relax at Ștefan cel Mare

Stefan cel Mare is Chisinau’s oldest and most central park. A green oasis home to pathways, flowerbeds, fountains, outdoor cafes, and playgrounds where locals and tourists hang out alike. Previously named Pushkin park, many now call it ‘lovers park’ as there’s plenty of young couples enjoying its grounds. Joining then is one of the best things to do in Chisinau Moldova. 

When in the park, make sure to check out the statue of Stephen the Great. He’s a Moldovan prince from the 15th century famous for hardly ever losing a battle. Thus, he’s Moldova’s greatest hero and his statue welcomes visitors to the park since 1928.

4. Photograph the Parliament building

Moldova’s Parliament is a must-see in every trip to Moldova as it’s one of the biggest attractions in Chisinau. This large building built in 1979 was once the Central Committee of the Moldovan Communist Party and now serves as the national assembly. 

The building resembles an open book, with its central part supported by four large vertical columns. There’s daily guided tours of the Parliament, and visitors can also freely explore its outdoors. Make sure to take a picture with the ‘Moldova’ tree-made sign at its entrance, as it’s one of the coolest shots to take in Chisinau Moldova. 

5. Enjoy a show at the Opera house

Every time I visit an ex-socialist country I try to get tickets for the Opera. Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, you name it. Socialism tried to make culture accessible and affordable to all, and I feel ex-socialist countries have kept this will as they offer superb shows at inexpensive prices. For example, our well-placed tickets for a 3-hour show were $5 each. Thus, I strongly recommend adding a night at the opera to your Chisinau sightseeing.

This beautiful and central building features nice artwork and stand sin a very central plaza in town. Therefore, even if you are not into shows or there’s none happening during your visit, walking around the Marie Biesu National Opera and Ballet Theater is still one of the best things to do in Chisinau Moldova.

6. Sunset from the Water Tower

The Water Tower might be the best place to enjoy sunset in Chisinau. Standing at the edge of the city centre, it offers panoramic views of the city and makes the perfect place to see Chisinau form above. There’s also a small art gallery on the top of the tower. 

Reaching 22-meters, this is one of the two water towers that used to serve Chisinau in the 19th century. The other was destroyed in an earthquake. Consequently, the survival tower was refurbished in local stone and wood and now makes one of the must-see spots in every Chisinau guide.

7. Guard change at the Eternal Flame

The Eternity Memorial Complex honours Moldovan soldiers dead at the WWII. It’s guarded by the Moldovan Army and watching the change of the guard happening every hour is one of the best things to do in Chisinau Moldova. 

The memorial is a large pyramid made of five giant red riffles surrounding an eternal flame. It also features realistic statues and memorials to those dead during the Transnistria war in 1992.

8. Beach vibes at Valea Morilor

Valea Morilor is a huge park at the edge of Chisinau’s city centre that makes it the favourite place for locals to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This green oasis features a large lake where to sunbathe or ice-skate, weather dependent, a large cascade, and multiple cycle and walking paths. 

There’s also plenty of flowerbeds, playgrounds, and even a small amusement park. If you walk there from downtown, you’ll come into the park via the cascade which is one of the nicest things to do in Chisinau. The area is also a great spot to enjoy a picnic during the day and watch the sunset over the city.

9. Admire the Train Station

The train station is one of the best Chisinau attractions as it’s really pretty. Built in 1871 featuring significant Romanian influences, it was renovated in 1948 in socialist-realist style and is now a wonderful architectural mix. 

Therefore, regardless of whether you are catching a train to pursue the best things to do in Moldova or just passing by, make sure to walk by the train station and admire its beauty. Moreover, the area features an interesting memorial to the victims of stalinist repression and a nice fountain.

Best things to do in the outskirts of Chisinau Moldova

10. Explore Ciuflea Monastery

St. Theodor Tiron Convent, also known as Manastirea Ciuflea, is a beautiful three-building Orthodox monastery. It was built in 1870 by brother Anastasie Ciufli to honour his brother Teodor Ciufli. Both were merchants from North Macedonia who emigrated to this area in the 19th century, and both are buried onsite. During Soviet times the place was closed and suffered deterioration, yet it-s now restored and since 2002 serves as a monastery again. 

This was my favourite monastery in Moldova. You can see my photos exploring it on Instagram, and yes women will have to cover their heads to enter. yet it’s totally worth it as the mosaics and paintings inside are completely stunning, and so is the amount of golden ornaments and the smell of the candles. Moreover, there’s lots of gas pipelines in the are which are really unusual in western Europe and make some of the most surprising things to see in Chisinau Moldova.

11. Spot Soviet remanants

Chisinau, like Tbilisi in Georgia or Yerevan in Armenia, is home to unreal brutalist architecture. The city developed after WWII and during Soviet times, so many of its large apartment blocks and public buildings are of brutalist style. 

One of the most famous brutalist buildings in Chisinau is the Romanita Collective Housing Tower, a round apartment block. Another must-see are the Chsisinau City Gates, a pair of 70-metre-tall concrete buildings standing on either side of the road linking the city and its airport. Additionally, Cosmos Hotel and the monuments to the fighter Soviet power, Komsomol, and The Liberation also make cool soviet remnants to visit in Chisinau. 

Moreover, scattered around the charming 19th century houses of the city center, stand several soviet mosaics worth a visit. These usually depict daily life scenes and soviet heroes, and are real art masterpieces. The nicest are at Cosmos Hotel, the Jewish Cemetery, and at the entrance to Stefan cel Mare Central Park. 

The icing on the cake are the statues of Lenin, Marx and Dimitrov standing at the Europe Expo premises in Chisinau. Definitely do not miss them during your Chisinau sightseeing as these are hard to find. You would need to travel to places like Transnistria or to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan to find Lenin statues of the kind.

12. Find the abandoned circus

During the times of the Soviet Union the circus was a major entertainment and almost every big city had a circus hall. However, when the USSR dissolved, most of these circus halls were abandoned and left to collapse. 

And so happened in Chisinau, when the circus was once a major attraction and now makes the delights of those who enjoy exploring abandoned buildings. Sneaking into this stone-made circus that back in the day could host over 2000 spectators is one of the coolest unusual things to do in Chisinau.

13. Sample local food

One of the best things to do in Chisinau is enjoy a delicious meal at a local tavern. Perhaps while sipping some local wine and/or beer. There’s plenty along the city centre they are inexpensive compare to western standards, so get ready to indulge in lots of dishes and samples as many local flavours as possible.

Must-try food in Chisinau Moldova includes hot soups such as Zeama, a cornmeal porridge called mamaliga, coltunasi duplings, sarmale cabbage rolls and stuffed pies called placinte. Along with plenty of salads, fresh bread, cheese, and grilled meat. 

One of the best restaurants to try local food in Chisinau is La Placiente. Although this is a chain with many locations aros the city, locals love it and we did as well. They serve all the local dishes at very affordable prices, staff is friendly and helpful, and they’re never short on local wine and beer. Much recommended.

14. Tour a winery

Moldova is a great wine producing country. With over 150,000 hectares of vinyeards and wineries of all sizes, taking a winery tour is one of the best things to do in Chisinau. Indeed, most of the big and middle-sized wineries are less than half an hour away from the city, so they make a great day trip from Chisinau. 

Moldova’s largest and most famous wineries are Milestii Mici  and Cricova They both offers daily tours in English, including wine tasting and a visit to their onsite shop. Smaller wineries such as Asconi (the one I visited and fell far) also have great guided tours to learn about their production process without the crowds. Plus these do not require booking in advance.

For those who do not drink or prefer to stick to one variety of wine instead of sampling many, there are winery tours without wine tasting. You can always head to the onsite bar at the end and order whatever feels best. That’s what we did, as you can see on my Instagram Moldova stories highlight.

15. Shop at the farmers market

With over 70% of Moldovan land employed in growing vegetables and grazing cattle, local produce in Chisinau is as fresh as it gets. And the best place to get some is the central market, standing right next to the main bus station. 

As every central market, it makes a cool place for people watching and provides a great insight into local life in Chisinau. Moreover, it’s an opportunity to chat with locals and sample some of their goodies, and to even purchase some to take home. Here you’ll find fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, cheese, jams, honey, brandy, wine, and much more. Make sure to bring cash and get ready to bargain a bit.

Recap on the best things to do in Chisinau Moldova

Chisinau, Moldova’s capital city, is home to 500,000 inhabitants and receives 2.5 million tourists a year. Nevertheless, this European capital is a modern city that combines large avenues, beautiful sites, great restaurants, superb wine, and soviet remnants like no other.

Consequently, there’s lots of interesting things to do in Chisinau Moldova to fill a weekend getaway and even a longer trip including Transnistria and some other wonderful places across Moldova.

If you decide to travel to Chisinau, get ready for some tasty produce, friendly people, beautiful sunsets over concrete buildings, affordable opera shows, and much more. This is a safe and walkable city, and I strongly recommend everyone looking for an off-the-beaten path destination within Europe to visit Chisinau.

You can see more of my trip on my Instagram and Tiktok where, as in the comments section below, I am always available to chat about travels. Have a wonderful trip to Chisinau Moldova.