Grădina Publică Sarmizegetusa

What you'll see

This is a classic urban park in the southern part of the city: straight paths between mature planting, benches, open ground and a steady flow of pedestrians from the surrounding blocks. It has no monuments or elaborate features, and that makes it useful for exactly what it is — a pause on a walk and a point from which to see residential Chișinău, where most of the city actually lives.

A full circuit takes twenty minutes. For anyone with 48 hours in the capital, it is a short stop rather than a destination in its own right, but it fits well on the way to the major sights in the south. The country's other outdoor destinations are in the nature section.

Getting there

The address is 5 Cuza Vodă Street, in the Botanica district in the south of the capital. From Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard it is about fifteen minutes by car, or by the trolleybus heading down to Botanica. The area is flat, with paved paths, and the entrance is wheelchair accessible. The journey is easy enough by public transport too.

When to go

The park is open at all times, day and night, every day. Morning and early evening are the most pleasant times to walk; at midday in summer, shade is limited in the open sections. At weekends the play areas are busy. It looks best in late spring and the first half of autumn.

What to combine it with

It is in the same part of the city as the Botanical Garden, the Zoo and Muzeul Satului — all can be strung together into a single day devoted to the south of the capital, with short hops between them. The monument to Serghei Lazo, on Sarmizegetusa Street, is a few minutes away and rounds out the route.

For a meal, the options in the Botanica district are gathered in the restaurants section, and if you would rather someone else built the route, see the options in tours and excursions. The rest of the capital's sights are in the Chișinău guide.