Discover Moldova 4 day private tour

Itinerary

Day 2 – Transnistria – Back to USSR tour + visit of Bottle Museum in Ternovca village

Pick up and transfer from Chișinău to Bender. Visit to Bender Fortress that dates back from the 16th century, built by the Moldavian ruler Ștefan cel Mare as a part of the defense chain on the Nistru river. In 1538, as the city became part of the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the fortress in stone and renamed the city as Bender. The fortress remains an imposing structure, with thick stone walls and a palpable sense of layered history. Now in the fortress, can be seen the museum, the torture chamber, and other well-preserved sites. We will explore Soviet architecture in Bender: Tighina Military Cemetery, Bendery train station, The Gorky cinema, and local mosaics.

In Ternovca village we will visit a unique private collection of alcoholic beverages – The Bottle Museum. The complex is located 70 km from Chișinău, in a picturesque, quiet corner near the Dniester River, surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards. The main building of the complex is built in the shape of a giant bottle 28 meters high – a truly whimsical and unforgettable sight. Over 10 thousand types of bottles of various alcoholic beverages from different countries of the world are placed in six magnificently decorated rooms. The collection includes rare, exclusive, numbered, and souvenir bottles, many with fascinating stories behind them.

Lunch in a traditional Soviet-style restaurant or bistro in Tiraspol, where the decor and menu evoke a bygone era. After lunch we will explore the buildings of the Soviets, the monument of Suvorov, and Central Plaza. We will explore Soviet architecture in Tiraspol: Lenin monument, Suvorov monument, Memorial of Glory, Theater from 1936, University of Taras Shevchenko, House of Soviets, and the Soviet parks of Tiraspol, where time seems to stand still amid the grand statues and wide pedestrian avenues.

Return back to your hotel around 6.30pm

Day 3 – Discover – Old Orhei Natural Reservation – Curchi Monastery – Cricova Winery tasting tour

Around 09:00am depart to visit Curchi Monastery. Curchi Monastery is one of the most important architectural monuments of Bessarabia, and it is also considered to be one of the most beautiful and famous monasteries of the region. It is located in Orhei forest near Curchi village, approximately 14 km southwest of the town of Orhei. The monastery is situated in the Vatici valley on the banks of the Vatici River between rich hills covered with forests, gardens and orchards. The monastery is a real gem, offering silence and peace, with its elegant white stone walls and serene courtyards inviting quiet reflection. Next, we go to visit Old Orhei Reservation (Butuceni, Trebujeni villages).

• Excursion to Orheiul Vechi situated in a picturesque setting (Applied to become the UNESCO World Heritage). You will have the opportunity to visit the most interesting archaeological site housing the ruins of two cities (14th-16th century). Tatars settled here on their expansion to Western Europe. Continue with a visit to the well-maintained Orthodox cave monastery called St. Maria Dormata which was expanded and modified inside the cliffs by monks over the centuries. Christian churches provide magnificent scenery through the windows of the monastery, which still functions today, and the views of the meandering Răut River valley below are simply breathtaking.

Lunch with traditional food at agro-pension in Butuceni village, where it is also possible to participate in a culinary masterclass.

Excursion to wine cellars of Cricova, which is one of the largest wine cellars in Moldova. It boasts a mere 200 km of labyrinthine roadways and tunnels, which have existed under Cricova since the 15th century, when limestone was dug out to help build the city of Chișinău. They were converted into an underground wine emporium in the 1950s. Half of the roadways are used for wine storage. The wines they store name the roads. This “wine city” has its warehouses, tasting rooms and other facilities underground. It goes down to over 340 feet below ground and holds 1.25 million bottles of rare wine. The oldest wine dates back to 1902. The temperature is maintained at about 54 °F all year round (which is perfect for wine). Driving through the underground tunnels in a small electric train is an unforgettable experience in itself.

Enjoy wine tasting: 4 samples of wine + 1 sparkling wine + snacks.

Return back to your hotel around 6.30pm

Day 4 – Visit Gagauzia Autonomy (Comrat – Besalma – Vinuri de Comrat Winery)

Around 09:00 departure to Comrat, the capital of the Gagauzia region. The drive south takes you across the wide, open Budjak steppe, a landscape of golden wheat fields and gentle horizons unique to southern Moldova.

The Gagauzian community is a unique Orthodox community of Turkish Gagauzian origin. Comrat is the capital of the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia. It is situated in southern Moldova, in the central part of the Budjak steppe on the Ialpug River. Comrat has a population of 30,000 people; 70% are ethnic Gagauz, a Turkic people who came to the area from Bulgaria in the early 1800s. Heading south on Lenin Street, the first thing of interest is the Monument to the Soldiers who fell in Afghanistan. Next to that is the Monument to the Victims of Political Repression and just behind both monuments is the Comrat Regional History Museum. In the middle of the central park is the freshly painted Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and over the road and slightly along a bit you’ll see a Lenin statue of the day outside the building of the Executive Committee of ATU of Gagauzia. The Palace of Culture is next door and you’ll see evidence of Gagauzia’s cultural links with Turkey in the form of a bust of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey. An interesting spot is also Alley of Gagauzian Glory, where prominent cultural figures are honored with busts and plaques.

Next we depart to Besalma village to visit the Gagauz local Museum of History and Ethnography D. Cara-Ciobanu, where the guides relate the history and ethnography of this small nation (1-1.5 hours). The museum offers a deeply personal look at Gagauz traditions, costumes, and everyday life, preserved with pride by the local community.

We’ll continue with a lunch at Vinuri de Comrat Winery.

Vinuri de Comrat’s history dates back to 1897, when the first written mention of the wine court in Comrat city appeared. Surviving the destruction due to peasant disorders, it is transformed into a vocational school. After the Second World War, the school becomes a grape processing company, which led to the formation of a large winery, in 1995 being renamed Vinuri de Comrat (“Comrat Wines”). Like all Moldovan wineries, Comrat Wines offers excursions with wine tastings. Wine tasting is accompanied by snacks or lunch in the traditional Gagauz style restaurant, where hearty dishes reflect the steppe nomadic heritage. At the winery you’ll have an excursion and wine tasting program (4 wines), all within a welcoming, down-to-earth atmosphere that captures the spirit of Gagauzia.

Return back to your hotel around 6.30pm