• placement: fullWidthHero
  • path: destinations/hero
  • containerId: gpt-ad-446414358852
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [320, 50], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "moldova/chisinau",
  "destination": "Chişinău",
  "title": "chisinau",
  "type": "City",
  "city": "Chişinău",
  "country": "Moldova",
  "region": "Eastern-Europe",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "refresh": 30,
  "refresh_limit": 3
}

Chişinău

Pretty much all roads in Moldova lead to its wine-and-food loving capital. While the city’s origins date back six centuries to 1420, much of Chişinău was levelled in WWII and a tragic earthquake that struck in 1940. The Soviets rebuilt it into what you see today: grandiose Stalinist architecture mixed with gloriously brutal modernism from the later Soviet period and a smattering of pre-WWII edifices.

Book
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2026
Book

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2026

Shop $19.99 USD
App
Lonely Planet App on a phone
Brand New!

Get the Lonely Planet App

Top places to visit in Chişinău

Discover the best attractions in Chişinău from must-see sights to unexpected hidden gems.

Explore all
  • placement: fullWidth
  • path: destinations/top
  • containerId: gpt-ad-138325345920
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "moldova/chisinau",
  "destination": "Chişinău",
  "title": "chisinau",
  "type": "City",
  "city": "Chişinău",
  "country": "Moldova",
  "region": "Eastern-Europe",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "refresh": 30,
  "refresh_limit": 3
}

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Chişinău

Lonely Planet may earn a commission from affiliate links on our site. All recommendations and reviews reflect our own independent opinions.

  • placement: fullWidth
  • path: destinations/bottom
  • containerId: gpt-ad-117322720197
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "moldova/chisinau",
  "destination": "Chişinău",
  "title": "chisinau",
  "type": "City",
  "city": "Chişinău",
  "country": "Moldova",
  "region": "Eastern-Europe",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "refresh": 30,
  "refresh_limit": 3
}