Bălănești Hill
Highest point in Moldova
Moldova's highest point, 430 metres (1,410 ft) above sea level, at Bălănești, in the Cornești Hills.
Photo: Joerggo, CC BY-SA 4.0
MD · Curated travel guide
Moldova: 10 places worth the journey
Bălănești Hill, Soroca Fort, Nativity Cathedral, Chișinău and 7 more — what each one is, and why it is worth the detour.
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What to see in Moldova
Chosen from everything Wikidata knows about Moldova and ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions describe them, which is about as close to "famous" as open data gets.
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Soroca Fort
Historical and architectural monument of national importance in Moldova
A historic fort in today's city of Soroca, Republic of Moldova.
Photo: Photobank MD from Chisinau, Moldova, CC0
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Nativity Cathedral, Chișinău
Church in Central Chișinău, Moldova
Built in 1830 to plans by Abram Melnikov, the chief cathedral of Moldova's Orthodox Church, in Chișinău's Sectorul Centru.
Photo: Pelin Oleg, CC BY-SA 4.0
Podolian Upland
Highland area in Ukraine, part of the East European Plain
Also called the Podillia Upland, an upland in southwestern Ukraine on the Dniester's left (northeast) bank, with small parts at its western end reaching into eastern Poland.
Photo: Маршавин, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Triumphal Arch, Chișinău
Monument in Chișinău, Moldova
A monument in central Chișinău beside the Nativity Cathedral, at Piața Marii Adunări Naționale nr. 2, directly facing Government House.
Photo: Tony Bowden from Tallinn, Estonia, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Codru (forest)
Forests in central Moldova
The ancient forest area of the hilly Central Moldavian Plateau.
Photo: Unknown, Public domain
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National Museum of Fine Arts, Chișinău
Art museum in August Street, Chişinău
Moldova's national fine arts museum, in Chișinău, set up in November 1939 by Auguste Baillayre and Alexandru Plămădeală.
Photo: Photobank MD from Chisinau, Moldova, CC0
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Cathedral of Divine Providence, Chișinău
Church in Chișinău, Moldova
Seat of the Diocese of Chișinău: a Catholic church standing in Chișinău, Moldova.
Photo: Warren's Moldovan, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chișinău Water Tower
Architectural monument in Chișinău, Moldova
An architectural monument at 2 Mitropolit Bănulescu-Bodoni Street, Chișinău, Moldova, built at the end of the 19th century to a design by Alexander Bernadazzi, and once a key part of the city's water system.
Photo: andrez1, CC BY-SA 3.0
Tighina Fortress
15th-century fortress in Bender, Moldova
A former fortress of the 15th century on the Dniester's right bank at Bender, Moldova, built of earth and wood under Prince Stephen the Great. The Turkish sultan Suleiman the Magnificent took it in 1538 and had it enlarged and rebuilt in stone.
Photo: Ivo Kruusamägi, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Moldova
Officially the Republic of Moldova, a landlocked Eastern European country covering 33,843 km² (13,067 sq mi), with 2.38 million people. Romania lies to its west and Ukraine to its north, east and south. Transnistria, an unrecognised breakaway state, lies beyond the Dniester on its eastern border with Ukraine.
Officially The Republic of Moldova.
Based on the Wikipedia article, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0: the facts are Wikipedia's, the wording is this site's.
Questions travellers ask
What is worth seeing in Moldova?
This guide lists 10: Bălănești Hill, Soroca Fort, Nativity Cathedral, Chișinău and Podolian Upland and others.
How were these places chosen?
By machine, from open data, with no human ranking them and nobody able to pay for a place on the list. Everything Wikidata records in Moldova that is a building, a landform, a protected area or a tourist attraction, has coordinates, a photograph and an English Wikipedia article, is ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions wrote about it. Provinces, cities, airports, stations and stretches of sea shared with the neighbours are filtered out.
What language is spoken in Moldova, and what currency?
Romanian. The currency is MDL.
How do I get mobile data in Moldova?
A travel eSIM is usually the cheapest way, and avoids a roaming bill. The plans suggested at the foot of this guide start at $2.15 for 2GB per day. The eSIM is data-only and sits alongside your normal SIM, so calls, texts and WhatsApp keep working on your own number.
Which networks would my phone use in Moldova?
Orange. Your phone picks whichever has the best signal where you are, the same way a local phone does.
One practical note: staying online
Maps, tickets and translation all want data, and roaming is the expensive way to get it. A Computatus eSIM eSIM connects to Orange once you land, and installs by QR code before you leave.
See 9 Computatus eSIM plans for Moldova from $2.15
| Plan | Data | Valid | Price | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2GB per day Cheapest | 2 GB | 1 day | $2.15 | Get it → |
| 3GB for 15 days | 3 GB | 15 days | $2.69 | Get it → |
| 3GB for 30 days | 3 GB | 30 days | $2.86 | Get it → |
| 3GB per day | 3 GB | 1 day | $3.04 | Get it → |
| 5GB per day | 5 GB | 1 day | $3.67 | Get it → |
| 5GB for 30 days | 5 GB | 30 days | $4.26 | Get it → |
No app needed. Install by QR code before you fly, keep your own number for calls, and it connects the moment you land.
Orange 5G
A commission on plans bought through these links is what pays for this guide. Nothing above depends on it: the places are chosen before any price is looked up.