The cathedral
White columns, a tall dome.
Vladimir0719 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Agenția de Inspectare și Restaurare a Monumentelor din Republica Moldova — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Agenția de Inspectare și Restaurare a Monumentelor din Republica Moldova — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Agenția de Inspectare și Restaurare a Monumentelor din Republica Moldova — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Agenția de Inspectare și Restaurare a Monumentelor din Republica Moldova — CC BY-SA 4.0
Curchi Monastery is a large Orthodox monastery in the Orhei forest, at the village of Vatici in central Moldova. Five churches with dark domes and white and red walls stand inside a high stone wall, with a small lake in front that mirrors the domes. The monastery was founded in the 1770s and is linked to the Curchi family of boyars. The stone summer church was built in 1810 and the large cathedral in 1872, and its dome is described as one of the tallest in Moldova. In the Soviet era the monastery became a hospital, then returned to monastic life and was restored between 2002 and 2015. About 30 monks live here today. You walk a wide courtyard between the churches, the monks' houses and neat gardens. The cathedral with its white columns is the main sight, with the red church and its small towers beside it. The lake shore gives a fine view of the whole monastery. This is a working monastery, so dress modestly and speak quietly. The monastery is 14 km in a straight line south-west of Orhei and 39 km north-west of Chișinău. Entry is free. Old Orhei is 24 km to the east, so you can combine them in one day.
White columns, a tall dome.
Small towers, dark domes.
Domes reflected in the water.
Vatici village, Orhei District, Orhei forest
Yes: cover shoulders and knees, and women usually cover their hair.
Old Orhei is 24 km to the east.