ChișinăuCapital

Chisinau is the green, low-key capital of Moldova, a soft and leafy city of the wide boulevards, the chestnut avenues and the sprawling green parks that spreads across the gentle hills of the country between the Danube and the Dniester. It is the seat of the wine nation of eastern Europe, and its cellars, its tasting rooms and the vineyard rings of the surrounding countryside give the city its most famous flavour, while the drivers and the donkey carts of the market gardens still reach the city with the season. The old town with its churches and its 19th-century houses, the great cathedral of the centre and the museums of the national art and the archaeology hold the quieter culture, and the vast open-air market of the farmers shares the local plenty. Calm, affordable and unmistakably provincial in the best of ways, it is the capital of a small country with a very big heart.

About Chișinău

Chișinău is the capital of Moldova. The city's documented population is around 639,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Moldovan Leu (MDL) and Romanian is spoken; the dialling code is +373.

The Green Capital of the Vineyards of the Hilly East

Chisinau is a calm, leafy and quietly elegant capital where the parks, the wine cellars and the unhurried boulevard life carry the whole gentle rhythm of a small European country. The visitor walks the central avenues, visits the cathedral and the museums, digs into the excellent open-air market and drinks the wine of the caves that perforate the hills of the city limits. It is a safe, friendly and astonishingly affordable city, and the real adventures, the vineyards, the monasteries and the photogenic monasteries of the countryside, begin a half-day to the south. It suits those who like their capitals small, walkable and free of the crowds.

The Mild Seasons, the Leu and the Cellars of the City Limits

The climate is continental, with the hot dusty summers and the cold sunny winters both crisp and manageable, and the May-June and September-October windows the best for the wine country. The leu is the currency, the Romanian the language and the Russian spoken widely, with the English thin. The centre is walkable, the taxis cheap and the wine tasting central to the plan. The park, the market and the archaeology of the museums fill the city days, while the monasteries of the countryside and the great cellars of the south are the essential day trips of any visit to the capital.

The Great Cathedral, the Farmers Market and the Basement Wine Halls

The central cathedral of the Nativity and its bell tower anchor the great plaza of the city, and the museum of the national history and the gallery of the fine arts of the capital hold the culture of the country. The open-air market of the farmers of the northern edge of the city is one of the most authentic and enjoyable markets of the region, alive with the fruit, the cheese, the pastries and the crafts of the whole country. The wineries of the capital, including the underground cellar cities of the nearby town, sit among the great wine experiences of the continent, and the parks, the lakes and the Sunday prams of the bridges complete the gentle picture of the green capital.

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Country: Moldova
Population: 639,000

Capital: Chișinău
Region: Europe
Currency: Moldovan Leu (MDL)
Languages: Romanian
Calling code: +373
Country code: MD

Frequently asked questions

Is Chișinău the capital of Moldova?

Yes — Chișinău is the capital of Moldova.

What currency do I need in Chișinău?

The local currency is the Moldovan Leu (MDL). Languages spoken in Moldova include Romanian.

What is the dialling code for Moldova?

The international dialling code for Moldova is +373.

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