The Japca is the only monastery in Moldova that has functioned continuously as a religious sanctuary from its founding, even during Soviet times. Its setting is special because it is near the Hermitage on the Rock, an ancient cave church that offers a marvelous view of the Dniester River. Monks lived in the cave before building the monastery.  The Japca Monastery is one of Moldova’s oldest, dating from the 17th Century. Its most impressive piece of architecture is its uniquely designed Church of the Lord’s Ascension.

• Distance from Chisinau: 160 km
• Visiting hours: Monday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Type: Monastery for nuns

The Hirbovat Monastery, which dates to the 17th Century, has had to be rebuilt several times from Turkish sacking and Soviet predation. Sadly, a lot of precious relics were lost when the Turks burned the monastery’s structures several tunes. But an important one survived every fire – the Mother of Our Lord painting. It is a venerated icon, with many people saying they were healed of illnesses after praying to it. The Soviets abetted the monastery’s destruction by transforming the complex into a school for disabled children. It was restored after Moldova became independent in the early 1990s. It has since reclaimed its status as one of the country’s most important spiritual centers.

• Distance from Chisinau: 52 km
• Visiting hours: Monday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Type: Monastery for monks

The Condrita Monastery has some features of a fortress, such as walls 1 ½ meters – or five feet – thick. Visitors are amazed to discover that the paint on its ceilings is the original that workers applied in the 19th Century. The complex’s churches were built as the 29th Century was about to begin. The monastery has endured waves of political and military turmoil. One the worst periods was the Soviet era, when authorities destroyed much of the complex to transform it into a camp for young Communists. Legend has it that a number of strange, unexplained events have occurred at the monastery. One tale involves the Soviets putting up a building over graves in the cemetery. When it was demolished after the Soviet Union’s break-up, the story goes, graves that had been maligned during the building’s construction, mysteriously realigned themselves.

• Distance from Chisinau: 25 km
• Visiting hours: Monday – Sunday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
• Type: Monastery for monks

The Hancu Monastery is in a picturesque setting at the base of the Codri Ravine, next to springs where the Cogalnic River originates. A warrior and member of Moldova’s royalty, Mihai Hancu, built the monastery for his daughter, who wanted to become a nun rather than marry one of her father’s military allies. The monastery is a prime example of the Moldovan Architectural Style that flourished between the 14th and 19th Centuries. The complex’s two churches were built in later styles. In addition to the monastery’s lovely setting, visitors like its rich history, which includes tales of invading Tatars burning it to the ground and Russians vanquishing the Tatars, then restoring the structure.

• Distance from Chisinau: 55 km
• Visiting hours: Monday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Type: Monastery for nuns

The Curchi Monastery is an architectural gem that includes Moldova’s tallest church spire – 57 meters, or about 190 feet. Considered one of the country’s most beautiful monasteries, the three-century-old complex exudes an aura of peace and quiet. Several churches have been built at the Curchi Monastery over the years. The most impressive is the main house of worship, the Baroque-style Birth of Our Lady Church, inspired by the Church of St. Andrew in Kiev. The Soviets turned the monastery into a psychiatric hospital in 1959. A major fund-raising effort that began in 2005 has returned it to its original glory.

• Distance from Chisinau: 33 km
• Visiting hours: Monday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Type: Monastery for monks

The Varzaresti Monastery is steeped in history. It is Moldova’s oldest monastery, and its prayer altar the oldest in the Dniester River Valley, which runs through Moldova and neighboring Ukraine. One of the monastery’s treasures is its icon painting “The Miracles of the Virgin Mary.” Another is a small piece of wood reputed to be from Jesus’s cross. The monastery also contains 19th and 20th Century living quarters for nuns and the remains of several saints. Perched on a hill with a sweeping, idyllic view, the complex looks like a sentinel guarding the area’s tranquility.

• Distance from Chisinau: 70 km
• Visiting hours: Monday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Type: Monastery for nuns

Another religious pearl in the heart of Moldova is Hirjauca Monastery, built in 1740. In the beginning it consisted only of monks’ quarters and churches, but by the 19th Century it included an excellent library and school. The monastery was transformed into a spa during Soviet times – a move that reflected communism’s contempt for religion – but it became a religious complex again after the U.S.S.R. collapsed in the early 1990s. The woods surrounding the monastery are a relaxing place to recharge your batteries. Make sure you taste the water from the monastery’s Fantana Tineretii, or Fountain of Youth, which is said to have curative properties.

• Distance from Chisinau: 70 km
• Visiting hours: Monday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Type: Monastery for monks

One of the oldest monasteries in Moldova, Capriana rises in the very center of the Codri region. The first written mention of the complex was in a royal decree in 1429 under which King Alexandru cel Bun presented the monastery to his wife, Princess Marena.  Another symbol of the monastery’s royal pedigree is a tree known as King Stefan cel Mare’s Oak. The original monastery was built of wood. In later centuries, stone was used to create three churches – the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Sfintul Gheorghe and Sfintul Nicolae. During medieval times the Capriana Monastery was home to Moldova’s largest library. Gifts from royalty were part of the collection, which still exists today. Gavriil Banulescu-Bodoni, the renowned metropolitan of Moldova, Kiev and Bessarabia, is buried on the monastery’s grounds.

• Distance from Chisinau: 40 km
• Visiting hours: Monday – Sunday, 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Type: Monastery for monks