Chișinău.
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Overview

Chișinău, pronounced "Kishinau" with "nau" as in the English word "now", is the capital of Moldova with a population of around 780,000 in the metro area (2018), and 250,000 people coming each day for work and entertainment. It is a busy working city, but it has some sites of interest, and is a base for exploring other parts of the country.

Understand

Chișinău (Russian: Кишинёв (Kishinyov), Ukrainian: Кишинів (Kyshyniv)) is very wealthy compared to the rest of the country, as Moldova is not a very rich country, and the countryside is especially poor. As is common in developing countries, you are likely to see great disparities in wealth. It's also very much a post-Soviet city, with both the good and bad qualities associated with that. You'll see many modern and great buildings of steel, concrete and glass.

The majority of the middle- and working-class population lives in blocks of flats. These look standard, maybe not too nice but are not as dangerous as similar areas may be considered to be in Western Europe. Do not expect Western standards everywhere, but the situation is improving every year. There are 4- and 5-star hotels, good restaurants and cafes, coffee houses and bars.

The city's territory with the nearest suburbs covers the area of . Visit Chișinău tourism information.

Get in

Chișinău International Airport. Served by many airlines like AirBaltic, Austrian, Tarom, Turkish Airlines, with flights around the Europe and Asia, notably to Athens, Bucharest, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Madrid, Milan-Bergamo, Munich, Riga, Rome, Vienna, Vilnius, Varna, Paris, London, Bologna.

From Iasi, you can take an intercity bus or train to Chișinău.

While better than in the past, the taxi system is still not perfect and it is likely they will try to come up with a reason to charge you extra. It is required by law for taxi drivers to always use the taxi meter, but sometimes they tend to "forget". Always ask the driver to enable the taxi meter before entering the taxi, and pay based on the figure shown on the meter.

A cheaper alternative is the trolleybus 30. It leaves just out of the arrivals door and is marked by a sign with the times. Once the trolleybus is running, pay 6 lei (Sep 2023) either by cash to the person with an apron, or by wireless card reader if available. It takes you to Botanical Gardens, Ismail Street and Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare și Sfînt (main street).

If for some reason the trolleybus is not running or you would like to multiply your options, go towards the expressway next to the terminal station, cross it, and wait at the bus station for either trolleybus 30 or bus 33, the latter of which goes to Central Railway Station and Ismail Street.

By train See Calea Ferata Moldova (CFM) (Moldovan Railways).

There is only one train station in Chișinău: the Central Railway Station. Internationally, the trains depart to Europe through Romania, as well as to Ukraine.

Within Moldova trains run westwards to Strășeni, Călărași, and Ungheni, and eastwards to Anenii Noi and Bendery.

From Western Europe, the train is much cheaper than a flight. The downside is that they are slow, particularly when crossing the borders into the former Soviet Union, where they need to stop to have their wheels changed due to different rail gauges.

There are two routes to Romania: to Iași and to Bucharest. Connection with Iași is two trains per day in each direction, taking approx. 4 hours (only seating class). From Bucharest, daily overnight trains leave Gara de Nord station at 19:20 and arrive at 08:10.

Ukrzaliznytsia – Ukrainian railway company – serves a route from Chișinău to Kyiv, departing every second day overnight.

By car Roads in Moldova are moderate. The road leading from Chișinău to Leușeni is OK. You are likely to be sharing the road with trucks, cars, and livestock, all moving at various speeds without a lot of regard for safety.

Because the driving and quality of the roads in Moldova is different from what a Westerner would probably be used to, it is thus better to rely on public transport, which is very cheap and (mostly) reliable.

By bus Chișinău has three main bus stations:

Gara Centrală. Serving mainly in-country destinations including Transnistria. Buy your ticket at the Kassa. Tickets for international trips have to be bought inside the bus station instead of directly from the driver.

You can check bus timetables (for in-country, and international destinations) at this website.

From specific destinations: Transnistria – From Tiraspol (leaving from the train/bus station: gara) and Bendery there are semi-hourly marshrutkas taking 90 min and 40 rubles. You can also pay in Moldavan lei, about 37 lei. Bucharest – Many companies operate 'rutieras' during the day and larger coaches during the night heading to Bucharest. The journey is 8-9 hr journey with hourly departures in the evening. There often is no toilet on the bus but several stops are made by the bus driver. Most companies run to/from the central bus station behind the Central Market. Iași – Coach services are operated to/from Gara de Sud. There are nine services a day. The trip takes around 3½–5 hr. The buses from Odesa go through southern Moldova, avoiding the Transnistrian region.

There are also several buses throughout the day from Chernivtsi and Lviv.

Get around

By bus For those on a budget, just do as the locals do: use a trolley-bus (about 30 lines through the city), bus or maxi-taxis. Maxi-taxis are increasingly rare and unreliable. When entering one, pay the driver right away. There are few set stops for maxi-taxis. It is usually fine to just tell the driver when you want to get off, although there are new rules and drivers may not do this so much anymore but will stop on street corners, etc. More information can be found at Easyway.

By taxi There are several big taxi services operating throughout the city and its suburbs, most notably Letz and Yandex Go. Call 14222 or 14444 to get a taxi. Those who do not speak Romanian or Russian should ask a local person at a hotel or a restaurant to call a taxi, because few taxi drivers speak English. The majority of taxi drivers accept payment by credit card; ask beforehand while ordering. If you pay by cash it is better to bring small notes because usually the taxi drivers will not be able to change anything larger than 50-lei notes. Prices start from about 50 lei.

It is required by law for taxi drivers to always use the taxi meter, but sometimes they tend to "forget". Always ask the driver to enable the taxi meter before entering the taxi, and pay based on the figure shown on the meter.

See

Cathedral Park. The centre is adorned with the Nativity Cathedral, the main church for the city. To the southwest is the Triumphal Arch constructed in 1841, which is the centerpiece of the Great National Assembly Square. Across Ștefan cel Mare Boulevard is the Government House. The city's biggest flower market is on the north side of the park along Bănulescu Bodoni Street. At the intersection of Ștefan cel Mare and Bănulescu Bodoni, there is a statue of Ștefan cel Mare.

Ștefan cel Mare Monument. The monument to Stephen III of Moldavia who, in the 15th century, achieved European fame by resisting the Turkish attacks. He was one of the most prominent rulers of late medieval Eastern Europe, noted for his long reign, military leadership and astute diplomacy. The monument is the gateway to the beautiful park of the same name.

Rose Valley. A 9-hectare park featuring three major lakes with pedal boats and several restaurants. It is possible to walk there to the center, and thus allows you to visit the Cathedral Theodor Tiron on the way. Otherwise, from the city center, reach the more popular southern entrances by trolleybuses 1, 4, or 8, and the less popular Northern side by bus 46.

Râşcani Park. A 32-hectare wooded park offering pleasant, almost secluded walks.

Chișinău Botanical Garden. The largest park in Chișinău.

Village Museum. Next to Botanica, if you head west after you exit the gates, you can find a path which will take you towards a couple of wooden churches built in Northern Moldova and re-assembled in Chișinău. There is a new wooden gate with traditional carvings leading up to the churches.

Valea Morilor Park. Very large park with a lake which offers acres of largely untouched landscape scenery in the heart of the city. There is a popular 2.5-km running and cycling marked circuit of the lake.

Parcul Dendrariu. A large park in Buiucani. Nice gardens, lake, forests and sports field.

Alunelul Park. In the western part of the city, in the Buiucani district, lies a small park covering just 11 hectares: Alunelul Park. The park was established in 1958 on the site of a Jewish cemetery; part of the cemetery was simply demolished, while some of the human remains were relocated to the new cemetery situated just above the park. Deep within the park stands the memorial complex dedicated to the victims of the 1903 Chișinău pogrom (installed in 1993). In late 2020, Alunelul Park underwent a beautiful renovation, much to the delight of locals and visitors to the capital alike. The park's main attraction is a multicolored fountain featuring 284 water jets and lights. During the summer season, the fountain's jets dance to the rhythm of the music, reaching heights of up to 10 meters.

Jewish Cemetery. The Jewish Cemetery is still in use. It contains new and very old graves. It used to be one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. At one point, between 40% and 60% of Chișinău's population was Jewish. The Jewish Cemetery also contains an old destroyed synagogue and a monument for the Torah scrolls. The street leading to the cemetery (Milano Street) is one of the last remaining stone-paved streets in the city.

Memorial Park. A little way out of the center is a memorial commemorating the victory of the Soviet army in World War II. There is also an eternal flame in memory of Chișinău's unknown soldiers who died in World War II. It is behind the military and civilian cemeteries. Reach by taking trolleybus 9 or 13 from Ismail Street.

Pushkin Museum. You can visit the house where the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin lived when in exile from Russia from 1820 to 1823.

National Archaeology & History Museum. Spend a few hours exploring the exhibits, and pay attention to the walls, floors and roofs of the building. There are some explanations in English.

National Ethnographic and Natural History Museum. The palaeontological part of the exhibition includes a skeleton of Deinotherium, a fearsome prehistoric relative of elephants. There is a good collection of traditional dresses, and a scale model of Moldova. Even if you don't enter the Islamic-inspired exterior facade is quite stunning, particularly late afternoon when it catches the sunshine.

Chișinău Water Tower. Location of a small local history museum.

Military Museum. Containing all sorts of Soviet-era military vehicles, such as tanks and a MIG fighter jet.

Old Town. Historic area of Chișinău, dating to 1436. It includes a blend of neoclassical-style buildings and charming cobblestone streets.

Do

Opera and Ballet Theatre. Catch a show of one of the top ballet companies in Eastern Europe. The company has toured all over the world, from Tokyo to Johannesburg. Show times and information can be found on the website.

Mihai Eminescu Theatre. This beautiful old theatre has floor seating and two balconies. They have multiple productions running at the same time, so if you are staying for a week, you may have four different plays to choose from, and films in the 'studio'. Comedies tend to communicate better if you don't know the language.

Cineplex. Check for 'In Original English Language'. Most movies are either dubbed in Russian or original with Romanian subtitles. There is normally no Romanian dubbing, just subtitles.

Football: The men's national soccer team play internationals at Zimbru Stadium (capacity 10,000) 2 km south of city centre. FC Zimbru Chișinău the resident club play in Moldovan Liga, the top tier.

Buy

There are many shops, malls and markets in Chișinău. The majority of restaurants and almost all the hotels in the city accept credit cards. There are hundreds of ATMs throughout the city. If you do not have an account with the bank or its parent company (e.g. Santander), expect a fee of approximately 2%.

If you are just visiting Chișinău, consider buying a special brandy selection of about 30 small bottles, with different sorts of brandy. It can make a nice gift. Moldovan wines are deservedly famous across the former Soviet Union, yet are little known in the rest of Europe. Take the opportunity to sample them.

Cigarettes are much cheaper in Moldova than in the EU, so you might do well to stock up before leaving the country (note restrictions at the EU border; there are special rules for the land borders to Romania).

Chișinău Souvenir Bazaar. The city's main artisan market. One can find handmade crafts, paintings and relics from the Soviet days. Negotiating prices is acceptable.

UNIC. An all-purpose shopping center built by Soviet standards, but renovated. (more recent malls are MallDova or Sun City). The selection of souvenirs is smaller and many will not be handmade.

Ștefan cel Mare boulevard. This is Chișinău's main street. Not only is it great for sightseeing, it is also lined with numerous shops and restaurants.

Central Market. Outdoor market. Alight at Armenească Street while on the main boulevard, and walk in the direction where everybody goes.

MallDova. The largest western-style mall in Chișinău. Most stores and products are generic and can be found at many malls in other countries.

Eat

Chișinău is a good place for food lovers. There are plenty of good places to eat all over the city. The cheap, tasty food that is very popular with the locals is served in most places. For better service and a more diverse food selection, there are a lot of small restaurants and cafes. Some restaurants have prices comparable to Western Europe, although if you eat only in those you may find yourself being ripped off. For a quick lunch, try fast food stores and pizzerias, which can be found on nearly every corner. Beef is often listed under the veal part of the menu.

For groceries, there are small shops all over. Some are in front of the apartment blocks just a few steps away from their entrances. For harder-to-find items, go to a supermarket. You will frequently also see markets or even one or two people selling fruit and vegetables, and sometimes other products such as honey or "brînza" (type of cheese). The majority of these are fresh and perfectly safe to eat and frequently better than what is found in a supermarket.

For fresh fruits and vegetables, open-air markets are the best option. 'Piața Centrală' (Central Market) is in the city centre and runs more than two city blocks. Other districts, such as Ciocana, also have large markets. Most of the items for sale are locally produced, but there are a lot of sellers who sell imports; mostly oranges, bananas and other tropical fruits and vegetables.

The vendors at the open market will let you taste the cheese prior to your purchase so you can decide if it is something that you want to eat. When you first walk into the 'cheese halls', it may look like all of the vendors standing next to each other are selling the same product. For hard cheese which tends to be re-sold from larger distributors, it may be the same. However, for locally-made cheese, there are variations that arise from even slight differences in technique, variations in the level of salt for curing, and differences in feed. 'Oaie' means sheep, so this will have a slightly different flavour than cow 'vaca' or goat 'capra' cheeses. 'Caș' is a softer cheese, that is not aged like some of the other 'brînza' which tends to be harder and saltier and is recommended for Mamaliga (corn polenta). If you are uncertain about how to communicate the quantity you want, you can start by giving the vendor 20 lei or 40 lei depending on if you want a smaller or larger piece. You can ask them to write it down by showing a pen and paper.

A classic 'fast-food' is the 'langos' which are fried dough with either 'cartofi' (potatoes), 'brînza' (cheese), 'varza' (cabbage) or 'ficat' (liver). These are all made in the bakery in the second storey of one of the buildings near the market and are sold by different vendors in identical glass wheel carts in different parts of 'Piata Centrala'.

A quick meal can also be put together with the marinated or pickled dishes that are sold at 'Piața Centrală'. Depending on the vendors, you might find marinated eggplant/aubergine with onions, marinated shredded carrot, squash or mushrooms. There are also re-hydrated sea grasses in white or green curly varieties in bunches, or smoother grasses that are more shredded.

Gălbenuș. Offers a selection of dishes paid per weight. Open 08:00-21:00, 20% discount after 19:00.

Foișor. For cheap blini (pancakes/crepes) and zeama.

Cantină. In the basement of the court building in Banulescu Bodoni Street is open from 11:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00. The simple food is a good value (25 lei for soup, main dish, and chefir; 40 lei maximum for a meal; 2 lei for tea as of 2010). Walk up the street from the two parks, the court building is on the right just before ASEM University (Academia de Studii Economice din Moldova) on the left.

Star Kebab. Chain of fast food restaurants in the style of McDonald's, serving kebab & falafel.

Nr1 Supermarket. In Dacia with Bucaresti has a 30% discount on prepared food between 21:00 and 23:00 (as of Dec 2020)

Andy's Pizza. A fast food restaurant which is found all over the city. The quality of the food is very good, however it might depend on the dish or the outlet.

Pizza House. Serves a variety of dishes including pizza, pasta and local dishes. They have a lunch special for about 50 lei. Prices for a full meal range 40-100 lei.

La Placinte. Another restaurant owned by the same people, serving traditional Moldovan cuisine. This chain restaurant has locations all over the city. The quality of the food is far more reliable and good, at decent affordable prices below that found in Western Europe. Bright, colourfully decorated place.

Tbilisi. Georgian restaurant in the center. The portions are generous and the food is good. Opt for Moldovan wines.

La Taifas. Traditional, family-run Moldovan restaurant in a cellar serving Moldovan specialities. English-language menu. It caters to tour groups and parties, so calling ahead to reserve is a good idea. Excellent list of Moldovan wines, many by the glass.

Drink

Drinks such as vodka are served on their own. So don't be surprised if your Vodka Sprite is served as two separate drinks. Also, club soda seems difficult to procure, at least in English.

Wines. Moldavan wines, cognac, liquor and juice are all on par with the best of Eastern Europe. For one thing, manufacturers tend to use only organic products. Secondly, these products are made in the traditional way. Restaurants tend to sell only local wines, but only those of the highest standards. One of the very best wines of Moldova is from the wine plantation of Purcari.

Beer. Moldovan beer is one of the best in Europe. A very famous is named "Bere Chișinău". It was awarded with the Nr.1 Gold Medal at the Nuremberg beer competition in 2007, beating German, Czech and others. It can be found in all the bars on every street in Chișinău, so finding a place for a drink is not a problem. However, good bars and restaurants with a pleasant atmosphere can be difficult to find. So watch where you stop.

Beer House. Bar and restaurant on bd C. Negruzzi, has a wide range of beers (some brewed on the premises) and a good menu. Prices for a full meal with drinks range from 150-500 lei.

Keller Holz Gastropub. An Austrian-Moldovan brewing company's restaurant with its craft beer and snacks.

Clubs There are more than 40 nightclubs in Chișinău, making its nightlife vibrant and dynamic.

Sleep

Budget In the main train station, there is a decent hostel. Just enter the train station and ask the guards there.

Hotel Chișinău. Hotel Chișinău claims to be the oldest central hotel in the city. An "aging beauty" with friendly staff and clean rooms.

Retro Moldova Hostel. Silent and central location with very friendly and helpful staff. Laundry service. Wi-Fi and lockers are available. The hostel is in a large flat in a lovely communist-style apartment block. Interior is a lot nicer than the exterior. Some of its interior such as wall posters dates back to Soviet times. The entrance is in the backyard and not towards the street. A small sign is sprayed on the concrete at the entrance and that is the only hint you get that there is a hostel inside apartment 24 of that gate.

Tapok Hostel. Friendly and helpful English-speaking hostel, with Wi-Fi, fans, lockers, kitchen and washing machine as well as the usual facilities.

Hotel Bella Donna. It's a new hotel with comfortable rooms and nice staff in the centre of the Chișinău.

Hotel Cosmos. Clean rooms and friendly staff, some of whom speak English. Now the hotel Cosmos has a slightly derelict appearance, and receives relatively few guests. However, the rooms are clean and the staff are friendly and helpful. Around the immediate area are some nice shops and restaurants.

Hotel Edem. A rather new hotel with comfortable rooms and a swimming pool.

Hotel Luna. A nice hotel with comfortable rooms and good services.

Hotel Stella De Lux. Service is poor and visitors are not allowed to enter the hotel.

Hotel Vila Iris. A small nice hotel with comfortable rooms and accessible prices.

Hotel Villa Muntenia. A cosy hospitable hotel offering excellent services. Breakfast, internet, TV, parking, and laundry included. A shower, cable/satellite channels and a hair dryer are also provided. On-site dining options include a restaurant. Chisinau International Airport is less than a 25-minute drive from Villa Muntenia Hotel.

Flowers Hotel 4*. A very posh but small (18 rooms) hotel close to the airport. Excellent service and good food, with extremely large rooms and comfortable beds.

Hotel VisPas. A very cozy 4-star boutique hotel about a 15-minute walk to the city center. It has a good restaurant with mid-range prices.

Jolly Alon Hotel 4*. A very nice hotel in front of Chișinău's central park on a street with no traffic. Superbly quiet. Rooms are at the minimum of 4-star standards. This hotel also has a gym which is only accessible to guests.

Leogrand Hotel & Conventions Center 4*.

Manhattan Hotel. A smaller 4-star boutique hotel in the centre. A few quirks but a good hotel. Opened early in 2010.

Hotel President. Newest 5-star hotel in Moldova.

Weekend Boutique Hotel. Modern, located in the centre.