North
Naslavcea’s spectacular river views
Naslavcea, on Moldova’s northern border, offers the country’s most spectacular views of the Dniester River. The best vantage points are the tops of steep emerald hills rising from the riverbank. The area contains what Moldovans call the Heart of the Dniester — an island in the river shaped like a heart. Nature is incredible away from the river, too. In fact many…
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Emil Racovita (Criva) Cave – one of the world’s biggest
The Criva Cave is an awe-inspiring reminder of nature’s handiwork, starting with its length of 89,000 meters — or more than 55 miles – on several levels. It is the world’s third-largest cave carved out of gypsum, a sulfite mineral, and the world’s 26th-largest cave over-all. Its chambers range from five to 50 meters – or 150 feet – deep. Another amazing…
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Taul Park – Moldova’s largest
Moldova’s largest manmade green area is Taul Park, which sprawls over 49 hectares, or 120 acres. Russian financier Ivan Pommer hired famed Odessa landscape architect Hippolyte Vladislav–Padalko to create the park around Pommer’s mansion. Completed after three years of work in 1904, the park includes 150 species of trees, shrubs, vines and flowers, including more than 100 exotic varieties. The imports include…
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Duruitoarea Veche Stone Age Cave
Over the eons the Duruitoarea River in northern Moldova carved out a deep gorge in the underlying limestone. In places where limestone and water combine, there are often caves, and this area has a famous one. The Duruitoarea Veche Cave was a Stone Age people’s settlement, archaeologists say. Evidence of early human life was found in its three sections, whose total length…
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Balti, the northern capital
With a population of 125,000, Balti is Moldova’s second-largest city. Its homes, public buildings, churches and schools are a mix of architectural styles, including early 19th Century Romanian, Soviet and neo-Romanian. Balti’s streets are quieter than Chisinau’s bustling thoroughfares. But it isn’t boring, and it offers a few mysteries. For example, why is a tank sitting in the main square, and why…
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Suta de Movile (Valley of the Hundred Hills)
Although it is called the Valley of the Hundred Hills, the rolling landscape near Braniste actually contains more than 3,000 undulations. It is such an unusual formation that you are unlikely to see anything like it elsewhere. Legend has it that the mounds are the graves of Getae, an ancient tribal people who lived along the lower Danube River and nearby plains….
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Mount Balanesti
If you like climbing, but don’t want a grueling or death-defying excursion, you will enjoy ascending Mount Balanesti, at 429 meters – or 1,400 feet – Moldova’s highest peak. The trek will start at the village that carries the mountain’s name and wind through a peaceful landscape of wheat and corn fields. When you reach the top, you will find a breathtaking…
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Gordinesti
The Gordinesti Gorge’s winding green valleys and other-worldly rock formations are stunning, and its caves hide traces of prehistoric animals and people. Locals have given the name La Castel to the area between the villages of Gordinești and Buzdugeni because a castle once stood there. In addition to hiking, you can look for the rock formations known as the Treasure of the…
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Domulgeni
If you think you have already tried every delicacy that Moldova has to offer — from soup to stew to sarmale cabbage rolls — then go to Domulgeni. The village looks the same as others, but it hides a secret. It produces one of the world’s tastiest smoked sausages. This is not just Moldovans’ opinion — tourists from all over say the…
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