Moldova - Romania Tour (Iasi city)

On arrival at Chisinau International Airport, you will be transferred to your accommodation in Chisinau. After settling in, you can have a walk through downtown and explore the city centre on your own.

The first stop of this day will be at Curchi Monastery. The monastery is surrounded by a high wall of stone, set with towers at each corner, creating the impression of a fortress. The Nativity of Virgin Mary Church built in 1775 by Iordache Curchi is an example of neo-byzantine style, while St. Nicholas Church has monumental forms built in classicism style with baroque elements.

Next, you will visit Château Vartely winery - the first winery in Moldova that focused on Terroir, for white wines. Located only 45 kilometers from Chisinau, Château Vartely has a special architecture and presents a real landscape delight, being located on a hill from where a dizzying view opens. For those who love to take pictures, Chateau Vartely has created for the first time a fascinating projection of augmented reality that reproduces, through special effects, the history of the winery. The story is projected on more a screen made of real barrels, the ones where the wine rests before being bottled, and then it expands and occupies the entire surface of the cellar with spectators.

In the afternoon, you will have lunch at a guesthouse in Butuceni village where you will taste dishes from the local cuisine.

After lunch, you will set off on a time travel to Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei) to see a natural amphitheater revealing a territory which was first inhabited 40 000 years ago. The Cultural, Natural and Landscape Reserve Orheiul Vechi includes a series of historical and cultural monuments as well as natural landscapes in the gorge of the Raut River. Ancient fortifications, cave monasteries, monks and hermits – here you can follow the history of this region. The remnants of the first human settlements were found in the stone caverns from here. On the rocky hill, you will find the ruins of a strong Geto-Dacian fortification, which acted as a sanctuary for celebrating religious holidays and rituals in this prehistoric community. The originality of Orheiul Vechi landscape is due to the gorge of the Raut River, dug under the form of a canyon in the limestone layers of the former Sarmatian Sea, about 14 million years ago.

In the morning, you will discover Tighina Fortress located in Tighina town and built in the 15th century by the prince of Moldova, Stephen the Great. Originally built as a small wooden fort, it was later fortified in stone by the prince of Moldova, Petru Rares. Occupied by the Ottomans in 1538 (in a campaign lead by the sultan Suleiman the Magnificent), the fort was strengthened in 1541 and became the center of an Ottoman "raya" (in which were included the surrounding Moldavian villages). In the 18th century, the fort was strengthened by Moldovan craftsmen under the direct supervision of Dimitrie Cantemir. Tighina Fortress is an architectural ensemble of irregular quadrilateral plan, surrounded by wide walls, 2-3 meters thick, made of limestone and brick.

In Tiraspol, you will set off on a time travel. During the city tour, you will discover Vladimir Lenin’s monument and the tank left from more the Second World War. The city seems to be a vestige of the Soviet past. Nevertheless, you will be amazed by the contrasts, one of which is the football complex „Sheriff” - a pearl of contemporary architecture.

In the afternoon, you will have lunch at a restaurant in Tiraspol.

After lunch, you will visit Kvint wine and brandy factory where harmony, refinement and tradition underlie the oldest and most genuine spirits. Here you will be acquainted with the taste of 10-30 years old spirits such as Surprise, Tiraspol, Kvint Sunny, Victoria and Suvorov. The professional sommelier and specialist in quality of Kvint factory will lead the tasting process.

In the morning, you will depart to Iasi city, named Open Air Museum or the Cultural Centre of Moldova region in Romania.

Once arrived in Iasi, you will have lunch at the restaurant where you will enjoy Romanian traditional dishes.

During the city tour, you will see the Palace of Culture, one of the most remarkable buildings and a true symbol of the city’s past. The Palace was built between 1906 and 1925 on the location of the former prince’s palace and is a happy blend of several architectural styles: neo-gothic, romantic and neo-baroque. The Three Holy Hierarchs Monastery is another important attraction of Iasi included in the city tour, distinguished by its unusual quality of being completely dressed in engravings and decoration elements. The walls of this church are the reason why it is among the most valuable architectural monuments of the country.

After the city tour, more you will be transferred to Iasi International Airport at 17:30 o’clock.