View allAll Photos Tagged Moldova
Location: Berlin - 1232km from home.
Moldovan plates have become pretty common in Berlin in the past 2 years, but I still want to spot all of them as Moldova is far away and pretty small. I can probably count myself lucky seeing such a large amount of them.
Location: Berlin - 1232km from home.
I the past few years I managed to see a relatively large amount of Moldovan Qashqais, all different vehicles. Moldova is definitely one of my favorite European countries to spot, as it is so small.
Orheiul Vechi and the villages Trebujeni an Butuceni.
Ten kilometers to the southeast of Orhei city lies Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei; marked on maps as the village of Trebujeni).
This is arguably Moldova’s most fantastic sight. The chimerical Orheiul Vechi Monastery Complex is carved into a massive limestone cliff in this wild, rocky, remote spot. Getting here ain’t easy (forget about public transportation), but it’s well worth the effort. The Cave Monastery (Manastire in Pestera), inside a cliff overlooking the modest Raut River, was dug by Orthodox monks in the 13th century. It remained inhabited until the 18th century, and in 1996 a handful of monks returned and began restoring it.
Shorts are forbidden and women must cover their heads inside the monastery. A small, moody chapel is part of the complex, which acts as a church for three neighboring villages, as it did in the 13th century. Adjacent is the area where up to 13 monks lived for decades at a time, sleeping on pure bedrock in tiny stone nooks (chilii), opening into a central corridor. There’s also a stone terrace, from where views of the entire cliff and surrounding plains are nothing less than breathtaking.
The cliff face is dotted with additional caves and places of worship, dug over the millennia by Geto-Dacian tribes from before Christ’s time. In all, the huge cliff contains six complexes of interlocking caves, most of which are accessible only by experienced rock climbers and therefore off-limits to most tourists.
After WWII archaeologists started uncovering several layers of history in this region, including a fortress built in the 14th century by Stefan cel Mare, later destroyed by Tartars, and the remnants of a defense wall surrounding the monastery complex from the 15th century. Some of their finds are on exhibit in Chisinau’s National History Museum.
In the 18th century the cave-church was taken over by villagers from neighboring Butuceni. In 1905 they built an additional church above ground dedicated to the Ascension of St Mary. This church was shut down by the Soviets in 1944 and remained abandoned throughout the Communist regime. Services resumed in 1996. On the main road to the complex you’ll find the headquarters where you can purchase your entrance tickets and visit the tiny village museum where several archaeological finds from the 15th and 16th centuries are presented. Guides can be arranged here, but only in Russian and Romanian. Ancillary attractions include remnants of a 15th century defence wall surrounding the monastery complex, an ethnographic museum in the nearby village of Butuceni and newly open caves across the valley.
Soroca fortress.
Soroca fortress was part of a huge Moldovan defensive system in the medieval times, which comprised four fortresses on the Nistru river, two on the Danube and another three in the northern part of the country. With this "stone belt of fortresses", the country borders were well protected. Soroca fortress was built at the Nistru river crossing, on older fortifications. In 1499, on the order of Stefan cel Mare, a square wooden fortress was built, on the site of a former Genovan fortress called as Olihonia (Alciona).
Between 1543–1546, while Petru Rares ruled the country, the fortress was completely re-built in stone, and in the shape one can see it today – a perfect circle, the diameter of which is 37,5 m and with 5 bastions situated at equal distances. When designing the fortress the builders incorporated the supreme law of harmony “the golden section”, which makes the fortress unique among examples of European defensive architecture.
Soroca’s fortress is also famous for being the place where the Moldovan army, commanded by the famous statesman Dm. Cantemir, and the Russian army, led by the Tsar Petru I, met and consolidated their forces during the Prut campaign against the Turkish hordes in 1711. Along history, the fortress has been visited by Bogdan Hmelnitski, Timush Hmelnitski, Alexander Suvorov, and others. The fortress is the only medieval monument in Moldova, which has been preserved entirely as it was designed by its builders. Above the entrance gate one can visit the small military church.
Shot in Milan
2071 KM (23 hours) away from home
This is my second Moldovan plate. I kind of like this new style, even though I loved the pre-2011 plates, but never seen one
Location: Berlin - 1232km from home.
Yet another Moldovan plate, this time on a fairly old and now low-spec Almera. This car hasn't been available in Germany for 17 years now, which is quite a period. It's always pretty interesting to spot cars whose value is about the same as what one would have to spend in travelling the distance they have come.
Soroca fortress.
Soroca fortress was part of a huge Moldovan defensive system in the medieval times, which comprised four fortresses on the Nistru river, two on the Danube and another three in the northern part of the country. With this "stone belt of fortresses", the country borders were well protected. Soroca fortress was built at the Nistru river crossing, on older fortifications. In 1499, on the order of Stefan cel Mare, a square wooden fortress was built, on the site of a former Genovan fortress called as Olihonia (Alciona).
Between 1543–1546, while Petru Rares ruled the country, the fortress was completely re-built in stone, and in the shape one can see it today – a perfect circle, the diameter of which is 37,5 m and with 5 bastions situated at equal distances. When designing the fortress the builders incorporated the supreme law of harmony “the golden section”, which makes the fortress unique among examples of European defensive architecture.
Soroca’s fortress is also famous for being the place where the Moldovan army, commanded by the famous statesman Dm. Cantemir, and the Russian army, led by the Tsar Petru I, met and consolidated their forces during the Prut campaign against the Turkish hordes in 1711. Along history, the fortress has been visited by Bogdan Hmelnitski, Timush Hmelnitski, Alexander Suvorov, and others. The fortress is the only medieval monument in Moldova, which has been preserved entirely as it was designed by its builders. Above the entrance gate one can visit the small military church.
Spotted in Charmilles area in Geneva, was this Moldovan Jetta! I saw it from the bus, I got off at the next station and took a picture of it! Moldovans are usually rare in Geneva, even if it's already the third I see this year!
Distance from home: 2375 km.
Moldova - Cricova winery.
Cricova is a national treasure and the most well known wineries in Moldova. It is the second largest underground wine cellar in the country, after Milestii Mici.
Cricova boasts nearly 120 km of underground tunnels that are large enough for vehicles to drive through. At the deepest point, the tunnels are 100 m below the ground. The tunnels were created when limestone blocks were excavated to help build Chisinau. It was converted into an underground wine cellar in the 1950s.
The natural limestone helps to maintain a constant temperature of 12-14 C (54-57 F) and humidity of 97-98%, creating optimal conditions for storing wine. Half of the tunnels in the cellar are used for this purpose. The tunnels are named after the wines kept there.
Cricova has a huge collection of more than 1 million vintage wines, including French, Italian, and Spanish wines, and samples from many other countries.
Cricova also has a more limited collection of rare and unique wines, some of which are owned by famous people such as Russian President Vladimir Putin. The oldest wine is from 1902, Jewish Easter Wine, and the oldest bottle of liqueur, Yan Bekher Liqueur, is from the same year. Nazi General Goring’s private collection of wine is also there; brought to Moldova by the general during WW II to be close to him at the Eastern front.
At the heart of the cellar are lavishly decorated themed banquet halls and tasting rooms, all recently renovated. Here guests can enjoy fine white, rosé, and red wines, old collection wines, and sparkling wines, the pride of the winery. Cricova is the largest sparkling wine producer in Moldova, making it according to the traditional champenoise method. Cricova offers daily tours and tastings for visitors. Tour packages range from basic tastings with simple snacks to large tastings with a full meal and souvenir. It is difficult to visit unannounced, so guests should book their visit in advance. However, the winery recently opened a new restaurant, Orasul Subterean, that accepts walk-in guests.
Orheiul Vechi and the villages Trebujeni an Butuceni.
Ten kilometers to the southeast of Orhei city lies Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei; marked on maps as the village of Trebujeni).
This is arguably Moldova’s most fantastic sight. The chimerical Orheiul Vechi Monastery Complex is carved into a massive limestone cliff in this wild, rocky, remote spot. Getting here ain’t easy (forget about public transportation), but it’s well worth the effort. The Cave Monastery (Manastire in Pestera), inside a cliff overlooking the modest Raut River, was dug by Orthodox monks in the 13th century. It remained inhabited until the 18th century, and in 1996 a handful of monks returned and began restoring it.
Shorts are forbidden and women must cover their heads inside the monastery. A small, moody chapel is part of the complex, which acts as a church for three neighboring villages, as it did in the 13th century. Adjacent is the area where up to 13 monks lived for decades at a time, sleeping on pure bedrock in tiny stone nooks (chilii), opening into a central corridor. There’s also a stone terrace, from where views of the entire cliff and surrounding plains are nothing less than breathtaking.
The cliff face is dotted with additional caves and places of worship, dug over the millennia by Geto-Dacian tribes from before Christ’s time. In all, the huge cliff contains six complexes of interlocking caves, most of which are accessible only by experienced rock climbers and therefore off-limits to most tourists.
After WWII archaeologists started uncovering several layers of history in this region, including a fortress built in the 14th century by Stefan cel Mare, later destroyed by Tartars, and the remnants of a defense wall surrounding the monastery complex from the 15th century. Some of their finds are on exhibit in Chisinau’s National History Museum.
In the 18th century the cave-church was taken over by villagers from neighboring Butuceni. In 1905 they built an additional church above ground dedicated to the Ascension of St Mary. This church was shut down by the Soviets in 1944 and remained abandoned throughout the Communist regime. Services resumed in 1996. On the main road to the complex you’ll find the headquarters where you can purchase your entrance tickets and visit the tiny village museum where several archaeological finds from the 15th and 16th centuries are presented. Guides can be arranged here, but only in Russian and Romanian. Ancillary attractions include remnants of a 15th century defence wall surrounding the monastery complex, an ethnographic museum in the nearby village of Butuceni and newly open caves across the valley.
Location: Berlin - 1232km from home.
Moldovan plates have gotten pretty common over time, which is interesting. I guess they'll get rarer soon, I could spot around one per month, which is a lot more compared to previous years.
Location: Berlin - 1232km from home.
In the past few years Moldovan plates weren't exactly rare in Berlin, but I use to spot them whenever I can. Moldova itself has less inhabitants than Berlin, which makes Moldova pretty interesting. What's also interesting - I've spotted this car in November 2016 and never seen it again; until two weeks ago.
Moldova - Cricova winery.
Cricova is a national treasure and the most well known wineries in Moldova. It is the second largest underground wine cellar in the country, after Milestii Mici.
Cricova boasts nearly 120 km of underground tunnels that are large enough for vehicles to drive through. At the deepest point, the tunnels are 100 m below the ground. The tunnels were created when limestone blocks were excavated to help build Chisinau. It was converted into an underground wine cellar in the 1950s.
The natural limestone helps to maintain a constant temperature of 12-14 C (54-57 F) and humidity of 97-98%, creating optimal conditions for storing wine. Half of the tunnels in the cellar are used for this purpose. The tunnels are named after the wines kept there.
Cricova has a huge collection of more than 1 million vintage wines, including French, Italian, and Spanish wines, and samples from many other countries.
Cricova also has a more limited collection of rare and unique wines, some of which are owned by famous people such as Russian President Vladimir Putin. The oldest wine is from 1902, Jewish Easter Wine, and the oldest bottle of liqueur, Yan Bekher Liqueur, is from the same year. Nazi General Goring’s private collection of wine is also there; brought to Moldova by the general during WW II to be close to him at the Eastern front.
At the heart of the cellar are lavishly decorated themed banquet halls and tasting rooms, all recently renovated. Here guests can enjoy fine white, rosé, and red wines, old collection wines, and sparkling wines, the pride of the winery. Cricova is the largest sparkling wine producer in Moldova, making it according to the traditional champenoise method. Cricova offers daily tours and tastings for visitors. Tour packages range from basic tastings with simple snacks to large tastings with a full meal and souvenir. It is difficult to visit unannounced, so guests should book their visit in advance. However, the winery recently opened a new restaurant, Orasul Subterean, that accepts walk-in guests.
Rudi-Arionesti monastery.
In the picturesque valley in the North of Moldova at the right back of Dniester, on the territory of the national park of Rudi - Arionesti there is a monastic ensemble of Saint Trinity built in the second half of the XVIIth century. The dominating element of this ensemble is the church built in 1772 having the same name as the monastery. Around the church various subsidiary structures are located such as the abbot's house, the refectory, cells and dwelling premises. Only the orchard and the bee garden are situated beyond the monastery.
According to its layout the monastery church is a true successor of traditions of ancient Moldavian structures. All the three apses - the eastern, the southern and the northern ones are of the same diameter and height. The narthex is more elongated since it is separated from the naos by a triple arcade.
Inside the bulk of the western wall there is a staircase leading to the choir gallery. Ancient inscriptions are made on the northern altar wall. The ancient iconostasis created by local craftsmen is mounted between the naos and altar. On many interior walls fragments of murals performed in the fresco method still can be seen.
Moldova - Hancu monastery.
Hancu Monastery was raised up on a nuns’ hermitage in 1678 by the Great High Steward Mihail Hancu due to the wish of one of his daughters, who accepted monasticism under the name of Parascheva. The hermitage had the name of Viadica until the 17th century.
Because of the Tartars invasion, the nuns left the hermitage for another place approximately at the half of the 18th century. After the Russian army arrived in Basarabia under the command of Field Marshall Rumeantev in 1770-1772, the first Hancu family successors asked the hieromonah Varlaam from the Varzaresti Monastery to take care of the abandoned hermitage. Varlaam together with a group of monks, who came with him, took care of the household, and repaired the cells and in time the monastery became a living place for the monks.
In 1817 all the monks at the monastery were Moldovans, who took the habit being hallowed by the Husi bishops and the Metropolitan Bishop of Moldova. They all had good connections with the hermitages and the monasteries from all over Moldova and the Athos mountain. There were three Russian hieromonks in the monastery as well, who ran away from the liberal stream of Queen Catherine the Second. The books for the church and the manuscripts were written in Romanian.
Back in 1817 the church was built of wood, fenced, glued with clay and whitewashed. The roof of the church was made of shingle. Also, it had a belfry attached to the church. The church had an iconostasis of wood with delving flowers gilt with gold. The walls inside of the church were fashioned with many beautiful icons, 8 of which were painted on planks of wood and gilt with gold.
Hancu was the first monastic settlement of Basarabia, where the community life was introduced approximately in 1820-1822.
Both, the inner life of the hermitage, and its community household, developed significantly during the supervision of abbot Dosoftei, Bulgarian by origin.
Since its existence, more precisely at the beginning of 1836, the hermitage is considered to be a monastery. On the place where the wooden church was standing, he raised up in 1835 a church built in stone with the festival Saint Pious Parascheva, but in 1841 he had built another one dedicated to the Holy Virgin Dormition festival. He built cells for the monks as well, brought water into the monastery and took care of the administration bettering.
At the end of the 19th century, the monastery was known under the name of Hancul-Parascheva.
The lands, the fortune and the buildings of the monastery were nationalized in 1944, but in 1965 the monastery had been closed and the monks were chased away.
In 1978 the monastic ensemble was distributed to the Institute of Medicine from Chisinau that set working a sanatorium for people suffering of tuberculosis and opened a leisure station for students and employees. Saint Pious Parascheva summer church was later turned into a club.
Hancu Monastery was re-established as a place for monks in 1990. There is no information about the activity of the monks during those two years they have spent in the monastery. In 1992 the community of monks was abolished.
In the spring of 1992 the monastery for nuns is being established at Hancu. On the 10th of September, 1992, the reconstruction of the monastery was started. In 1993 the reparation of Holy Virgin Dormition winter church had been finished.
The church was framed within the body of the priory, which was built in 1841. It was painted provisionally and hallowed in the same year. In 1998 the interior of the church was repainted.
Saint Pious Parascheva summer church was erected in 1835 and repaired not earlier than 1996.
Three old buildings raised up in 1841 remain untouched on the monastery’s territory. Nuns and sisters started living there after a major overhaul. The number of the ones living there estimates 58 in 1995.
Moldova - Cricova winery.
Cricova is a national treasure and the most well known wineries in Moldova. It is the second largest underground wine cellar in the country, after Milestii Mici.
Cricova boasts nearly 120 km of underground tunnels that are large enough for vehicles to drive through. At the deepest point, the tunnels are 100 m below the ground. The tunnels were created when limestone blocks were excavated to help build Chisinau. It was converted into an underground wine cellar in the 1950s.
The natural limestone helps to maintain a constant temperature of 12-14 C (54-57 F) and humidity of 97-98%, creating optimal conditions for storing wine. Half of the tunnels in the cellar are used for this purpose. The tunnels are named after the wines kept there.
Cricova has a huge collection of more than 1 million vintage wines, including French, Italian, and Spanish wines, and samples from many other countries.
Cricova also has a more limited collection of rare and unique wines, some of which are owned by famous people such as Russian President Vladimir Putin. The oldest wine is from 1902, Jewish Easter Wine, and the oldest bottle of liqueur, Yan Bekher Liqueur, is from the same year. Nazi General Goring’s private collection of wine is also there; brought to Moldova by the general during WW II to be close to him at the Eastern front.
At the heart of the cellar are lavishly decorated themed banquet halls and tasting rooms, all recently renovated. Here guests can enjoy fine white, rosé, and red wines, old collection wines, and sparkling wines, the pride of the winery. Cricova is the largest sparkling wine producer in Moldova, making it according to the traditional champenoise method. Cricova offers daily tours and tastings for visitors. Tour packages range from basic tastings with simple snacks to large tastings with a full meal and souvenir. It is difficult to visit unannounced, so guests should book their visit in advance. However, the winery recently opened a new restaurant, Orasul Subterean, that accepts walk-in guests.
Orheiul Vechi and the villages Trebujeni an Butuceni.
Ten kilometers to the southeast of Orhei city lies Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei; marked on maps as the village of Trebujeni).
This is arguably Moldova’s most fantastic sight. The chimerical Orheiul Vechi Monastery Complex is carved into a massive limestone cliff in this wild, rocky, remote spot. Getting here ain’t easy (forget about public transportation), but it’s well worth the effort. The Cave Monastery (Manastire in Pestera), inside a cliff overlooking the modest Raut River, was dug by Orthodox monks in the 13th century. It remained inhabited until the 18th century, and in 1996 a handful of monks returned and began restoring it.
Shorts are forbidden and women must cover their heads inside the monastery. A small, moody chapel is part of the complex, which acts as a church for three neighboring villages, as it did in the 13th century. Adjacent is the area where up to 13 monks lived for decades at a time, sleeping on pure bedrock in tiny stone nooks (chilii), opening into a central corridor. There’s also a stone terrace, from where views of the entire cliff and surrounding plains are nothing less than breathtaking.
The cliff face is dotted with additional caves and places of worship, dug over the millennia by Geto-Dacian tribes from before Christ’s time. In all, the huge cliff contains six complexes of interlocking caves, most of which are accessible only by experienced rock climbers and therefore off-limits to most tourists.
After WWII archaeologists started uncovering several layers of history in this region, including a fortress built in the 14th century by Stefan cel Mare, later destroyed by Tartars, and the remnants of a defense wall surrounding the monastery complex from the 15th century. Some of their finds are on exhibit in Chisinau’s National History Museum.
In the 18th century the cave-church was taken over by villagers from neighboring Butuceni. In 1905 they built an additional church above ground dedicated to the Ascension of St Mary. This church was shut down by the Soviets in 1944 and remained abandoned throughout the Communist regime. Services resumed in 1996. On the main road to the complex you’ll find the headquarters where you can purchase your entrance tickets and visit the tiny village museum where several archaeological finds from the 15th and 16th centuries are presented. Guides can be arranged here, but only in Russian and Romanian. Ancillary attractions include remnants of a 15th century defence wall surrounding the monastery complex, an ethnographic museum in the nearby village of Butuceni and newly open caves across the valley.