Grădina Publică „Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt”

What you'll see

This is the oldest and most used park in the city, and if you have a single free hour in the centre, this is where you spend it. The paths radiate from a central point where the fountain stands, and along one side runs the line of bronze busts of writers — the Alley of Classics, the park's most photographed feature. At the entrance from the boulevard stands the monument to Ștefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great, Moldavia's 15th-century ruler), the landmark of the whole city centre.

The park works at once as a thoroughfare, a meeting place for locals and an open-air museum. The chess players at the fixed tables are part of the everyday scene. The cultural context of the alley and the writers represented is in the notable figures section.

Getting there

The address is 148 Ștefan cel Mare și Sfînt Boulevard, right in the middle of the centre. You need no transport: from any hotel within the central perimeter it is a few minutes on foot, and every line crossing the boulevard stops alongside. There is parking, including accessible spaces, and the entrances are wheelchair accessible.

When to go

The park is open around the clock, every day. Early morning is quiet and good for photographs on the Alley of Classics; at midday the shade of the paths makes the difference in summer; the evening is the liveliest stretch, when the whole city centre comes out for a walk. In autumn, in October, the colour of the mature trees is the strongest argument for a visit.

What to combine it with

It is the geographical centre of any one-day route through Chișinău. A few minutes' walk away are the Arcul de Triumf and Piața Marii Adunări Naționale, the Muzeul Național de Artă a Moldovei and the Muzeul Național de Istorie a Moldovei, both on 31 August 1989 Street. The classic formula: park in the morning, museums in the afternoon, dinner in the centre.

The places to eat within the central perimeter are the densest in the city and are gathered in the restaurants section. If you want a guided route through the centre, see tours and excursions, and the rest of the capital's sights are in the Chișinău guide.