Sightseeing in Chișinău: Landmarks and Museums

Before you go (October 2026 advice): The US State Department rates Moldova at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, and Transnistria at Level 3, Reconsider Travel (travel.state.gov ). The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Transnistria and gives no warning for the rest of the country (GOV.UK ). Drones from the war in Ukraine have entered Moldovan airspace this autumn, and flights from Chișinău have been disrupted at times. Check with your airline and your government before booking.

Main Attractions

Most of what visitors come to see lies within a short walk of Ștefan cel Mare boulevard. Entry fees are modest, with the big museums at 50 MDL for adults.

Cathedral Square

Dedicated in 1836, the Nativity Cathedral follows a neoclassical design by Abram Melnikov. Entry is free, and modest dress is expected. The nearby Triumphal Arch, 13 m tall, went up in 1840 to 1841 under the architect Luca Zaușchevici to house a large bell.

Ștefan cel Mare Central Park

Laid out in 1818, this park of about 7 ha is the oldest in the city. Walk the Alley of Classics and look for the Pushkin monument.

Three Museums

  1. National Museum of History (121A on Strada 31 August 1989): 50 MDL. Closed Mondays; free the last Thursday of the month. Winter hours end at 17:00.
  2. Ethnography and Natural History Museum (Mihail Kogălniceanu 82): 50 MDL. Closed Mondays and the last Wednesday of the month. The Deinotherium skeleton is the star exhibit.
  3. National Museum of Art (115 on the same street): 50 MDL, with a 25 MDL rate for students and pensioners.

Check hours at nationalmuseum.md and muzeu.md .

Water Tower

At Strada Mateevici 60A, the Water Tower houses the Chișinău City Museum. It opens Tuesday to Saturday, and the upper floor is an exhibition hall. Look up summer opening hours before you travel.

Cascade Staircase and Valea Morilor

The staircase has 218 steps and leads through a park of over 100 hectares. A lake in the park has boats for hire in season, but swimming is not advised.

Places of Remembrance

Treat these places with quiet respect.

  • Chișinău Ghetto monument, at Grigore Vieru boulevard and Ierusalim street: put up in 1993, with two red granite slabs whose notches form a Star of David.
  • 1903 Pogrom memorial, in Alunelul Park on Calea Ieșilor: a stone unveiled in 1993 with a second block added in 2003. The April 1903 pogrom killed 49 Jews and injured hundreds.
  • Eternity Memorial Complex, on P. Halippa street: opened 9 May 1975, with five stylised rifles forming a 25 m pyramid around an eternal flame, for Soviet soldiers of the 1944 Jassy-Kishinev Offensive.
  • Monument to the Victims of Communist Deportations, in Railway Station Square: a bronze work by Iurie Platon, unveiled on 23 August 2013.

The old Jewish cemetery off Strada Milano is a large, overgrown burial ground and calls for respectful dress.

Tips

  • Plan museums for Tuesday to Sunday.
  • A bus or trolleybus ride is 7 MDL.
  • Do not photograph military or government buildings.

Join an organised city tour through GetYourGuide .

Read more: Chișinău walking tours and attraction tours .