Căușeni District
Administrative seat: Căușeni
A district in the south-east of the country, home to the medieval Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, with rare frescoes and partly dug into the ground.
Căușeni district lies in the south-eastern part of the Republic of Moldova, about 87 km from the capital Chișinău, and is part of the South Development Region. Its seat is the town of Căușeni. The district borders Anenii Noi to the north, Ialoveni to the north-west, Cimișlia to the west, Ștefan Vodă to the south-east and Ukraine to the south, while to the east it adjoins the Transnistrian region.
Geography
The relief is hilly plain, in the southern part of the country, with a warmer and drier climate. The district's area is approximately 1,311 km², and the population, according to 2024 data, was about 57,261 inhabitants, with a density of roughly 44 inhabitants per km². The ethnic composition is mostly Moldovan/Romanian, with Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian and Gagauz minorities, reflecting the multi-ethnic character of southern Moldova.
Economy
The district's economy is predominantly agricultural. Cereals, sunflower, grapevines, vegetables and fruit trees are grown, and viticulture has a long tradition. The food industry and the processing of agricultural products complete the local economy, alongside trade and services. Fertile soils and a warm climate make the district a productive area of the country's south.
What to see
The district's most precious site is the Church of the "Dormition of the Mother of God" in Căușeni, a medieval monument with interior murals dated to the 18th century (1763), one of the oldest and most valuable surviving churches in Moldova, dug partly into the ground so as not to rise above the buildings of the Ottoman era. In the village of Zaim is the house-museum of the poet Alexei Mateevici, author of the poem "Limba noastră", which became the anthem of the Republic of Moldova, while at Hagimus there is a monastery.
History
Căușeni is an old settlement, documented as far back as the medieval period, which was for a time the seat of the Tatar khans of the Budjak, a fact that explains the age and particularity of its church. Over time the territory belonged to the Principality of Moldavia, then to the Bessarabia Governorate, and in the interwar period to Romania, being incorporated after 1944 into the Moldavian SSR. Through its historical and religious heritage, its connection with the great Bessarabian poet and its agricultural vocation, Căușeni district combines cultural tradition with the rural economy of the country's south.
What the area is known for
More to see in the area
Key facts
- Type
- District
- Region
- Southern region
- Administrative seat
- Căușeni
Detailed statistics (population, area) are updated from official sources (the National Bureau of Statistics).
What to find in Căușeni District
Everything we have documented here — sights, places to stay, meals and wineries, with real Google ratings.
Attractions
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Biserica Adormirea Maicii Domnului
The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Căușeni is one of the most important surviving medieval religious monuments in the Republic of Moldova. Built partly sunk into the ground, with an interior covered in wall paintings, it lies roughly 65 km south-east of Chișinău. It can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday, between 10:00 and 18:00, and holds an average rating of 4.8 — a heritage site that justifies the drive from the capital on its own.
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Casa-muzeu "Alexei Mateevici"
The house-museum dedicated to Alexei Mateevici, the poet who wrote „Limba noastră", is in Căușeni district, in south-eastern Moldova. It is a small memorial museum: a few rooms with objects, photographs and editions connected to the writer's life and work, in a quiet rural setting. It is quickly seen, and best with the curator's explanations; the point of the stop comes from the context — the place where one of the most quoted texts in Romanian culture in Bessarabia was born.
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Wineries
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Leuntea Vin
Leuntea Vin is based in the village of Grădinița, in south-eastern Moldova, in a lowland area a good distance from the usual tourist circuits. The producer has its own website and distribution, but remains a modest-sized winery. No visiting hours are posted, and guests appear to be received occasionally rather than as a matter of routine — a visit is arranged by phone, in advance, and depends on the hosts' availability. It is worth confirming a few days ahead. Recommended for those exploring the south-east of the country by car who want to add a stop away from the classic winery lists, accepting that the experience will be plain and without any tourist staging.
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Винное хозяйство КИСЛОВЪ KISLOV WINERY
Kislov winery is at Gîsca, near Bender, in the Transnistrian region, on the left bank of the Dniester. It is a producer that has built a broader offering than that of an ordinary winery: alongside the winemaking, the site includes a sales point, a bar and walking trails laid out around it. The hours are generous and cover the whole week — from 09:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 at weekends, until 22:00 — and parking, both on site and on the street, is free. Suited to visitors including the Bender–Tiraspol area in their itinerary. As this is a region with its own access regime, check the crossing conditions in advance and book your visit.
See detailsAnd nearby, beyond the district border
Places in neighbouring districts, less than 40 km away, if you want to stretch the route.
Winery13 kmLeuntea Vin
Leuntea Vin is based in the village of Grădinița, in south-eastern Moldova, in a lowland area a good distance from the usual tourist circuits. The producer has its own website and distribution, but remains a modest-sized winery. No visiting hours are posted, and guests appear to be received occasionally rather than as a matter of routine — a visit is arranged by phone, in advance, and depends on the hosts' availability. It is worth confirming a few days ahead. Recommended for those exploring the south-east of the country by car who want to add a stop away from the classic winery lists, accepting that the experience will be plain and without any tourist staging.
See detailsWinery17 kmВинное хозяйство КИСЛОВЪ KISLOV WINERY
Kislov winery is at Gîsca, near Bender, in the Transnistrian region, on the left bank of the Dniester. It is a producer that has built a broader offering than that of an ordinary winery: alongside the winemaking, the site includes a sales point, a bar and walking trails laid out around it. The hours are generous and cover the whole week — from 09:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 at weekends, until 22:00 — and parking, both on site and on the street, is free. Suited to visitors including the Bender–Tiraspol area in their itinerary. As this is a region with its own access regime, check the crossing conditions in advance and book your visit.
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Stay23 kmMARION 4* - Pensiune turistică
Marion operates in the town of Ștefan Vodă, in the south-east of the country, a short distance from the vineyards that made the area's name — Purcari is less than half an hour away by car. It is registered as a tourist guesthouse and welcomes families with children. The data does not detail meal services, so breakfast should be clarified when booking. For anyone following the wine route in the south who does not want to sleep on winery grounds, Ștefan Vodă is the practical alternative: you have a town, shops and a petrol station, while the vineyards stay a few minutes away.
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Restaurant24 kmSud-Est
In Slobozia, Ștefan Vodă district, in the south-east of the country — the area of the Purcari vineyards, on the route towards the Ukrainian border. The essential detail: it is open around the clock, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. That makes it a road stop in the true sense of the term, at any hour, in an area where the alternatives close early. Terrace, bookings accepted, breakfast served, space for groups and families with children. Free parking, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance and places. Prices in the mid range.
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Restaurant24 kmLa Marina
La Marina works around the clock, on strada Constructorilor in Ștefan Vodă, the district in the south-east of the country that also holds the Purcari vineyards. A venue open twenty-four hours in a town of this size is infrastructure rather than a restaurant: it solves both the lunch stop and the three-in-the-morning stop on the way to the Dniester. It has a terrace, takes children and groups and accepts bookings, at mid-range prices. Parking, in the courtyard or on the street, is free. The entrance is not adapted for wheelchair access.
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Restaurant24 kmPizza pe Vatră
A pizzeria in Ștefan Vodă, on strada 31 August 1989, in the heart of the wine district in the south-east of the country. The name states the method: pizza baked on the stone hearth, at high temperature, not in an electric oven. Hours from eight in the morning to ten at night, every day, with breakfast served — an unusual span for a provincial pizzeria. Terrace in season, bookings accepted, space for groups and for families with children. Free parking of its own and on the street. Prices in the mid range. Dogs are not admitted.
See detailsWhere to stay in Căușeni District
Hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs in the area, on one map — prices compared across Booking, Airbnb and other platforms.
Map provided by Stay22. Bookings are completed on the partner platforms.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Căușeni District
Which town is the seat of Căușeni District?
The administrative seat is Căușeni.
Which part of Moldova is Căușeni District in?
Căușeni District belongs to the Southern region.
What is there to visit in Căușeni District?
Among the highlights: Biserica Adormirea Maicii Domnului (fresce medievale).
Plan your visit to the area
Where to stay
Real hotels and guesthouses, with prices compared on the map across Booking, Airbnb and other platforms.
SeeWineries & tastings
From record-breaking underground cities to family wineries. Almost all of them take visitors by appointment.
SeeReady-made itineraries
Day-by-day routes, with real driving distances and the route opening straight into Google Maps.
SeeVisit Căușeni District
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