| Chisinau | |
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| Country | Moldova |
| Region | Moldova |
| Surface | 635 km² |
| Population | 685 900 |
| Postal Code | MD-20xx |
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Chisinau - the capital and the largest city Moldova. It has about 700 thousand. residents.
Characteristic
Chisinau is a city with a poorly developed tourist infrastructure, but there are plenty of attractions for visitors. In the very center of the city, along the Bulevardul Ştefan Cel Mare, there is a small area with low historic buildings, a cathedral and a triumphal arch. There are historic and richly decorated Orthodox churches in the area of Chisinau. In the capital of Moldova, you can also see many interesting buildings in the brutalist and socialist realism style, built during the times of the Soviet Union. The city's attractions are also numerous and very large parks, most of them with lakes. There are numerous wineries and vineyards in the vicinity. The advantages of the city are also very low prices and the original atmosphere of the city unchanged for mass tourism. Chisinau is also a good starting point for travel all over Moldova, due to good communication with marshrutkas and relatively short distances to cover.
Drive
By plane
Chisinau airport is the largest airport in Moldova. It supports regular connections with over fifty cities in twenty-three countries. The only connection with Poland to the Warsaw Chopin airport is provided by LOT Polish Airlines. The Odessa airport located about 200 kilometers from Chisinau can be reached from Gdańsk, Katowice and Wrocław by the cheap airline Wizzair.
By rail
Chisinau is the country's largest railway junction. It has rail connections with cities such as: Moscow, Kiev, Bucharest. The condition of passenger carriages is often very bad, there are few connections, and travel times to major cities are uncompetitive. Sample travel times: Bucharest 13 hours 30 minutes, Kiev 17 hours, Moscow 30 hours.
Currently, due to significant financial problems of the company operating passenger trains in Moldova, all international rail connections are suspended.
By car
Getting to Chisinau is difficult due to the poor condition of the roads on Ukraine and in Moldova.
By bus
From Bucharest, private bus and minibus carriers offer up to a dozen daily connections, including night connections. Most connections are of a good standard with a journey time of around eight hours. There are connections with cities in Ukraine as well as with Poland.
Communication
City
Trolleybuses constitute the base of the public transport network of Chisinau. They reach most city districts and main tourist attractions, timetables are available online and sometimes also at bus stops. Tickets are bought in the trolleybus from the conductor, the ticket price is 2 MDL for one journey (payment only in cash). The network is complemented by city buses operating on a similar principle. Marshrutkas operate on routes to peripheral districts and suburban routes.
Intercity
Regular marshrutkas run to all major towns in Moldova (also to Transnistria). The main bus station is Gara Centrală (Mitropolit Varlaam 58). The area of the station is huge, so it is worth asking the locals where buses to the city of interest are parked. Tickets are quite cheap. A 100-kilometer journey costs around 40 MDL.
Worth seeing
Nearest neighborhood
work
Salaries in Chisinau are among the lowest among European capitals.
Science
Chisinau universities are in distant places in the world rankings or are not classified in them.
Shopping
Street and bazaar trade dominate in Chisinau. Supermarkets are rare, even in the very center of the city. The city's largest bazaar is Piața Centrală, where you can buy everything from freshly whipped chicken to original Bessarabian carpets. It is definitely worth stocking up on excellent local wine, which is the pride of Moldova. Smokers can be attracted by the very low prices of cigarettes - around MDL 25 per packet. There are several modern shopping malls in the city. The largest are MallDova, ZityMall, Grand Hall.
Gastronomy
Parties
Accommodation
contact
Security
Tourist information
Cash is essential in Chisinau. Payment cards are rarely accepted. Cash can be withdrawn from numerous ATMs or exchanged at exchange offices located almost everywhere. Some of them work around the clock, some exchange Polish zlotys, even with a fairly favorable exchange rate.
Polish citizens may stay in the territory of the Republic of Moldova only with an identity card. However, please note that this territory does not apply Transnistria. If you are planning a trip to this region, or even a trip from Odessa to Chisinau via Transnistria, you must have a passport.
The official language is Romanian. Knowledge of English is poor, except for a few typically tourist or international places. Most of the inhabitants know Russian, so when they hear a Slavic-speaking interlocutor, they will usually try to communicate in this language. It is rare to meet people who understand or speak Polish.
Residents are usually nice and willing to help foreigners.