Moldova's Monasteries Tour

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.

In the morning you will visit Saharna Monastery - one of the oldest monasteries in the country. The monastic complex is composed of a cave monastery (the Annunciation) and a stone monastery (the St. Trinity). The complex is located in a picturesque valley on the right bank of the Dniester River, near Saharna village. It is surrounded by rocks covered by forest. The legend says that the Virgin Mary left her footprint on the highest rock, named Grimidon. The history of the monastery is little known. The first prior of the holy place is considered the monk Bartholomew (1776-1790) who settled in a deep gorge, built a church, a few cells and enclosed the monastery with a stone wall. In Saharna you will enjoy the beautiful landscape created by the waterfalls. The River Saharna has 22 waterfalls on its way. The biggest waterfall is 4.5 m high.

Next, you will travel to Lalova village where you will more have lunch at a local guesthouse.

After lunch, you will discover Tipova Cave Monastery. Located near Tipova village, the monastery with the same name is considered one of the oldest monastic establishments on the territory of Moldova. The heritage, which consists of 18 rooms, dug into the rock at an astounding altitude, represents an impressive museum in the open air. The Tipova River, on its flow to the Dniester, creates many waterfalls with the height above 10-16 meters, which a long time ago used to move the millstones of the numerous watermills.

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 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 more 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.

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

After a copious meal, you will visit Château Vartely winery in Orhei town. Château Vartely is a modern complex, which comprises 4 hotel-type houses, 2 restaurants, 3 tasting rooms, and a huge inner yard. In the cellars and then in tasting rooms you will be acquainted with the particularities of Château Vartely wines, you will learn how they are made, kept and served and you will have the opportunity to taste some of them.

Today, you will travel to Hincu Monastery, a monastery of nuns founded by the boyar Mihalcea Hincu in 1678 in order to fulfill the request of his daughter who decided to dedicate herself to the monastic life. She became a nun, taking the name of Parascheva. Being closed during the period 1956-1990, the monastery reopened in 1990, at the request of the locals, soon becoming one of the most well-organized and visited monastic attractions.

You will continue your trip to Capriana Monastery, founded in medieval Moldova, which is one of the oldest monasteries in the country. It is located in Capriana in a picturesque forested area once called Codrii Lapusnei. The first significant reference dates from a document issued in 1429 that gave Capriana the status of royal monastery on behalf of Alexander the Good. During a long period, Capriana Monastery acted as the residence of the Moldovan archbishop. more Being closed and devastated in the post-war years, it was one of the first monasteries that reopened in 1989, becoming soon the symbol of national revival.

In the afternoon, you will take a ride to Milestii Mici winery located at a depth of 40-85 m in Milestii Mici village. Measuring about 200 km, all underground streets make up the largest network of caves ever dug by a human being, which appeared after the extraction of limestone deposits. The winery holds an impressive collection of more than 2 million bottles. The "Golden Collection" of Milestii Mici winery, which has over 1,5 million bottles, is the pride of the whole country, as in August, 2005, it was registered in the Guinness World Records as the biggest wine collection in the world. You will feel like a king/ queen here, admiring the beauty of this place and tasting wines in which you will feel the fire of sun and vigor of earth and enjoying national cuisine dishes.

After a delicious lunch at Milestii Mici winery, you will travel to Hincesti where you will visit the Manuc-Bei Manor that now houses the Museum of History and Local History. The actual house is a real castle in the French style, with a winter garden, guard towers and a park - built in the second half of 19th century based on the project of Alexander Bernardazzi, and for decades was the estate of family Mirzoyan, descendants of Manuc-Bei. In the 70-ies of the 20th century, Manor House Museum was opened, including a collection that now number more than 20,000 artifacts. The most valuable is the collection of the Moldovan national costumes and textiles.

You will start the day by travelling to Hirjauca Monastery located near Hirjauca village in Calarasi district. The monastery was founded in 1740 in Codri forest, a green island filled with birds twittering around, but at the same time with quietness. Here, lost among the beech alleys, hidden from the stranger’s eyes, you will feel the beauty and quietness of this place, being surrounded exclusively by the whisper of springs and ringing of bells.

In the afternoon, you will visit Casa Parinteasca (Parents’ House) craft centre in Palanca village where you will visit the museum, including the peasant house from the 19th century and enjoy traditional peasant dishes, typical for Palanca village served with homemade wine. The lunch will be served along with remarkable jam and tea made from herbs collected from the garden.

After lunch, you will travel to Frumoasa Monastery. The word more “frumoasa” means “beautiful” and the monastery got this name because of the beautiful forests and gardens that surrounds it. Nowadays it is a female monastery though it was planned as a male one. Its architecture saves the imprint of Moldovan national style with elements of both classical and baroque styles.

On departure day, you will be transferred from the hotel to Chisinau International Airport. If your flight is in the afternoon, you will have the option to explore Chisinau for a while on your own in the morning and buy some souvenirs.