The capital Chişinău (Kishinev in Russian) is by far Moldova’s largest and liveliest city and its main transport hub. While the city’s origins date back six centuries to 1420, much of Chişinău (pronounced kish-i-now) was levelled in WWII and by a tragic earthquake that struck in 1940. The city was rebuilt in Soviet style from the 1950s onwards, and both the centre and outskirts are dominated by utilitarian (and frankly not very attractive) high-rise buildings. That said, the centre is surprisingly green and peaceful. There are two large parks, and main avenues cut through groves of old-growth trees that lend a serene element.
Parcul Catedralei & Grădina Publică Ştefan cel Mare şi SfîntPARK
These two parks diagonally oppose each other. Both are popular with families and canoodling teenagers on benches. Parcul Catedralei, on the northern side of B-dul Ştefan cel Mare, has two main sights: the Orthodox Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe. Grădina Publică Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfînt is dominated by a statue of Ştefan cel Mare at the entrance.
Arc de TriompheMONUMENT
Chişinău's own Arc de Triomphe dates from the 1840s and marks the centre of the city. It was built to commemorate the victory of the Russian army over the Ottoman Empire. It's often draped with a Moldovan flag in the middle and makes for a stirring photo op.
National Archaeology & History MuseumMUSEUM
The granddaddy of Chişinău's museums contains archaeological artefacts from the region of Orheiul Vechi, north of the capital, including Golden Horde coins, Soviet-era weaponry and a huge WWII diorama on the 1st floor.
Pushkin MuseumMUSEUM
This is where Russia's national poet Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837) spent three years exiled between 1820 and 1823. You can view his tiny cottage, filled with original furnishings and personal items, including a portrait of his beloved Byron on his writing desk. There's also a three-room literary museum in the building facing the cottage, which documents Pushkin's dramatic life.
National Ethnographic & Nature MuseumMUSEUM
The highlight of this massive and wonderful exhibition is a life-sized reconstruction of a dinothere (an elephantlike mammal that lived during the Pliocene epoch – 5.3 million to 1.8 million years ago) skeleton, discovered in the Rezine region in 1966. Allow at least an hour to see the museum's pop art, stuffed animals, and exhibits covering geology, botany and zoology.
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