Chisinau

You will not find impressive palaces or charming sites full of architectural gems in Chisinau. Instead, Moldova and its metropolis pride themselves on excellent wine and the warm hospitality of the locals. Chisinau is also considered to be one of the greenest cities in Europe, and visitors will be surprised to see manicured boulevards rather than the grey, desolate public spaces so common in the capitals of former Soviet countries. The most famous area is the main avenue, Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt, which leads to the Cathedral Square with the Nativity Cathedral. 

Chisinau is a natural gate to the extensive Moldavian landscape known primarily for its winery tradition and numerous old monasteries. Here lie the most extensive wine cellars in the world, where tourists have to be transported by underground train. After a visit to the labyrinths of hundreds of thousands of bottles and barrels of wine, take a trip to the Rautului River Valley, where a series of monasteries carved into the rock look out over Moldova's verdant countryside from a rocky promontory.