Stephen the Great statue
At the main entrance.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · 07 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Stephen the Great Central Park is the main park in central Chișinău and the oldest park in Moldova, covering about 7 ha. Shady paths run between tall trees, benches and statues, with the statue of Stephen the Great at the main entrance. Locals call it the Park of the Lovers, as it is the favourite place to meet. Russian military engineers laid out the park in 1818, and the architect Bogdan Eitner drew its paths and planted hundreds of trees. In 1863 it got a cast-iron fence made in Odesa, on the suggestion of Alexander Bernardazzi. The statue at the entrance was designed in 1923 and unveiled on 29 April 1928; it was moved to Vaslui in 1940 and brought back in the 1940s. The park has 50 kinds of trees, including mulberries and acacias between 130 and 180 years old. It holds the Alley of Classics, with busts of writers, and a statue of Pushkin, who walked here in the early 1820s. The statue of Stephen the Great holds up a cross, with flower beds in front. The park is in central Chișinău, 400 m from the Triumphal Arch and 800 m from the Old Water Tower. It is open and free. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, when the trees change colour.
At the main entrance.
Busts of writers.
Mulberries and acacias.
Stephen the Great Boulevard, central Chișinău
Triumphal ArchThe Triumphal Arch of Chișinău is a sand-coloured stone arch in the city centre,4 minutes walk
Nativity CathedralThe Cathedral of Christ's Nativity is the main Orthodox cathedral of Moldova, in6 minutes walk
Old Water TowerThe Chișinău Water Tower is a 19th-century stone tower with many-sided storeys a10 minutes walkYes, it is open and free.
Spring and autumn, when the trees change colour.