Trebujeni, MD

Orheiul Vechi

Interior of a monastery built in a cave

A beautiful and unique experience, the caves at the Orheiul Vechi monastery in Moldovia contain old places of worship and prayer, transporting the visitor back to far simpler times and allowing the imagination to take over.

About this building

Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei), is an archaeological and ecclesiastical complex  at about 50km north of Chişinău, Moldova. Its most well-known attraction is the Cave Monastery, a complex of rooms and tunnels dug into a remote, rocky ridge over the Răut River. The UNESCO world heritage site includes a 1905 Orthodox church dedicated to the Ascension of St Mary as well as ruins from different eras, from the times of the Dacian tribes (2000 years ago) to those of the  Mongol and Tatar invasions. The entire site can be visited in half a day and it is a hidden pearl of natural beauty, spirituality and historical relevance.

Key Features

  • Monuments
  • Interior features
  • Atmosphere / quiet space

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/Gikü

Curchi Monastery

Curchi Monastery is one of the most important monuments of Bessarabian architecture. It is an architectural ensemble dating mostly from the 18th and 19th centuries. It consists of five churches, two buildings with cells, a stable, several auxiliary rooms, an orchard, a hermitage and an "archondaric" (guest wing). The Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God, built in 1775, is in neo-Byzantine style, and the Church of St. Nicholas (1808 - 1810) is built in the style of classicism with baroque elements. It is surrounded by a high stone wall. During the Soviet period, the monastery was transformed into a psychiatric hospital.

St Valeriu's Church, Chisinau

St Valeriu's Church is a contemporary church inaugurated in 2005 and dedicated to Saint Mucenic Valeriu the Riscani sector of Chisinau.

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