Chișinău is the capital city of Moldova, a country that is bordered on one side by the EU (Romania) and on the other by Ukraine. It felt very much in between places, maybe even stranded. I went in 2026, looking for a city that told the story of Soviet planning and architecture, and for a place that was unpredictable. Despite the concrete relics of the Soviet era, of which there were many, the city was lively, with commercial properties having taken over the ground level of even the most unexpected locations. The city had historical architecture, often just a single storey, around the downtown, then it had the Soviet era buildings, and two kinds of modern buildings: really bad takes on Postmodernism, and wavy things. It wasn't a pretty city but I found it so interesting that I would say that I became quite enamoured of the town during my short visit.
Photo List (Total 369 Photos)
Click bolded headers below to view, or click "just the best" for quick tour
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Centrul Historic (116 photos) - This area, to the North-West of the downtown, is the "official" part of the capital city, housing the city's parliament, city hall, government buildings, with parks, cathedrals, and galleries. This gallery starts at the Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare where it intersects with Strada Vlaicu Pārcălab, where the City Hall is located. It moves west to Cathedral Park and the Parliament, and then diverts into Stephen the Great Park. There I found a Soviet-era restaurant gone to seed and it was thrilling. I visited the National Museum of Fine Arts, and also a cultural centre of some sort that was a cool modern building that I never saw the inside of. In the area around there, were a bunch of government buildings, and embassies, as well as the Dinamo Stadium. I never made it into the Queer Cafe but I got at photo outside. The gallery ends at the large and lovely Valley of the Mills Park, with it's lake and expansive staircases.
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Sectorul Centru (102 photos) - This area is the commercial core of the city, just to the south-east of the Centrul Historic. This gallery starts at my hotel in the south of this area, and moves to a few nearby attractions including a memorial for Soviet Soldiers, and the Chișinău Central Cemetery. It includes a number of buildings and businesses on Strada Alexei Mateevici, which is south of the main street. After that it moves towards the main street of the city, Bulevardul Ștefan cel Mare, showing buildings and businesses south of the main street, then buildings along the street. North of the the Bulevardul, there is a large market area and a bus terminal.
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South-Eastern Core (80 photos) - The area further east from the Sectorul Centru, after the Strada Ismail, starts with the Constantin Brāncuși Exhibition Centre, and also shows a number of buildings from the Soviet era, including two large hotels, and the Cultural Palace of Railway Workers. It also has the Cuiflea Monastery, one of the main sites to see in the city, and main railway station. The station had a forlorn feel to it, and was surrounded by a kind of impromptu flea market.
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Outer areas (71 photos) - I went north of the downtown area a little bit, to see a few buildings up around the Bīc River and north of there. The State Circus, a performance and training centre for circus performers, was fantastic, and the walk was fascinating. I ended up on Kiev Street first, but that turns right into Bulevardul Moskva which seems a bit off geopolitically. The street was nice enough and busy, but the whole area was a nightmare for pedestrians. There was a traffic circle that I actually stood and watched for a few minutes to plan my crossing, the alternative was at least a kilometre in any direction to get to a crosswalk. I ended up in an area of old "commie blocks", and while some of the buildings were run-down, I actually found this neighbourhood to be weirdly pleasant and almost rustic feeling. I also went to the south of the city to see a round tower, and it was worth it. Also includes a few photos at the airport.
