is a republic where is Kishinev located. Or, as locals say, Chisinau. It is a picturesque and entirely original capital with a curious history. This small town, with its metropolitan status, can accommodate the centre of the republic and the cosy spirit of the province. It has everything that a small town and the capital of the government can boast. Let's not be distracted by the history of the city and the flavour of the nation, and immediately get down to business - Instagrammable places of Kishinev. Instagram-ready. This is such a growing trend, expanding its popularity is directly proportional to the growth of Instagram. Some modern restaurants are beginning to integrate, especially those decorative elements that are popular among the fans of most liked Instagram photo networks. There is even something like a checklist, which is used to create an interior peculiar to a social network: the big bed, full-length mirrors, light tones and all in such spirit. Before you start writing something like "what to see in Chisinau", "places to visit in Chisinau", and so on in your browser address bar, I will offer you 12 places to visit in Chisinau where you can not only see what to do in Chisinau but also take a beautiful photo for social networks. Prepare your Instagram feed and get ready for a trip during which you and I will visit both majestic sights of the past and new incredible scenery, which have become Instagrammable places by chance.
1. Chisinau Railway Station
For most people visiting the beautiful city of Chisinau, the first thing they see is the view of the city station. In Chisinau, the station is not only a place where trains are buzzing alarmingly but also an excellent architectural monument. Not a single photo will present such a beautiful building to the human eye. Its facades, columns, all internal premises and even platforms are separate works of art. And this means that to show the world a station in all its glory, there must be many most liked Instagram photos. The Chisinau station is not only a starting point for a journey through the capital of the Republic of Moldova but also an excellent Instagrammable place. So, before you go on a long walk around the city and hammer in search of "what to see in Chisinau" and "places to visit in Chisinau", sitting in one of the city cafes, beforehand you'd better spend time at the station, exploring it and taking its pictures in all the glory. I'll tell you a little below where to sit to use the local Internet providers and free Wi-Fi.
2. Sincer
The Sincer is not an architectural monument, not a picturesque natural landscape, not a place for sacrifices of lost civilizations, but at first glance, quite an ordinary grocery store. We will talk about the freshness and quality of food in another universe, but now we are interested in the decor of this Instagrammable place. The cosy place is made in the style of ancient European streets, and this is the first visual highlight of the building. Everybody likes it, but those looking for their next photo masterpiece will find it at the entrance. There's a summer veranda at the entrance, unremarkable at first sight. But the elements of construction in combination with the modern design create a unique photo frame.
3. Marlene
Marlene is a cocktail bar, the main highlight of which is on the terrace. The grapes, covered with light bulbs, are prevalent among local photo hunters. In my opinion, such a cocktail place is the best starting point for an Instagram tour in Chisinau. Here you can take a breath before a walk, get acquainted with the local cuisine and drinking culture, take the first pictures and calculate your route in detail.
4. Zity Mall
Common international practice, approved by the UNESCO Foundation, Goznak and the NASA Space Agency, shows that people love to be photographed against the background of shopping malls. One of the best examples is a Zity Mall in Chisinau, where periodically, there is an invasion of Instagram lovers. The Zity Mall shopping centre is armed with an ideal location in the city, a set of all existing types of trade and recreation. Goods of world brands, restaurants for all tastes and colours, convenient passageways, and this is not the main thing. The main thing is the roof terrace. It's moderately cold and, of course, with restaurants on it. All mall visitors like it, and if you go shopping in this city, be sure to drop by. Anyway, you can leave without shopping. Photos in this place are viral, mainly because of the glowing chairs, beautiful sunsets and architectural solutions implemented by local craftsmen of the city of Chisinau.
5. Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel
Let's move from the places that are popular for most liked Instagram photos to the areas that are hard to get into, and from that, the images in them will be more individual. If you stay on a trip to Chisinau in the Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel, its rooftop will offer a magnificent view of the city, especially in the evenings. Here you can see the real Moldova as it is, there is one of the best views this city has to offer. People staying here can spend hours watching cars passing by from the roof of the hotel, people rushing home from work, architectural views, and feel like gods because other people will look so small in their eyes.
6. Valley Mills Park
Urban landscapes and pseudo-historical places to visit in Chisinau are interesting, of course, but they are not the only ones to post on Instagram. If you don't look for Instagrammable places in Chisinau where they shouldn't be, the first thing to do is to visit the amusement park "Valley of the Mills". The view of the park is opened by a massive staircase leading to a beautiful building. This view alone is worth a visit to this old but modern place. In addition to the majestic staircase, there is also something to do after you put up your photo and watch the likes grow exponentially. This is an amusement park, after all. Here is the summary of the most visited places in the park: an artificial lake, a summer outdoor theatre, an amusement complex, a sandy beach.
7. Stephen the Great Central Park
Once upon a time, a guy named Lord Stefan III the Great lived in Chisinau. A close friend of the Romanian celebrity Vlad III Cepes, better known as Dracula, was also not distinguished by his kind heart and liked to put people on stakes. But these are not the main achievements of the then ruler of the Moldavian Principality. He loved his people very much, drowned in their prosperity and carefully watched over the observance of laws. In Kishinev, there are many monuments to this gentleman; in honour of him, several streets are named at once and, precisely our example - the park named after Stefan. The park has no direct historical relation to the lord. Even more so - under the Soviets, it was named after Alexander Pushkin. Hence the main feature of the park's decor is its literary theme. On the main avenue of the park, there are 27 installed busts of writers - both Moldavian and Russian. But even a person far from the literature will have something to do here. In the centre of the park, there is a huge fountain, which also often appears in a local Instagram feed.
8. Cathedral of Christ's Nativity
There is a massive cathedral in Chisinau, which by some miracle did not suffer during the Soviets reign. It is beautiful in itself, but at the moment we are not interested in it. We are interested in a huge plot of land around the cathedral. Before the entrance to the building, there is a pedestrian alley with wooden benches in the centre, of which there is an artificial lake. People use the area around the temple as a park where they can walk on quiet, warm days. Even picturesque most liked Instagram photos for Instagram, as well as other social networks, are produced in this park. This is the last park, I promise you.
9. The Tower of the Winds
So, we have come up with the subjectively most exciting place on this list. Unlike the previous Instagrammable places, to get to the next ones, you'll have to try. The Wind Tower of the late 19th century is a stone pergola, which at the moment is in a dilapidated emergency state of ruins. To me, its emergency condition only adds to the charm of this place. Besides, there is a charming panorama of the mountains and the surrounding area of Chisinau.
10. Bendery Fortress
If you look for places that can claim the title of Chisinau's business card, the Bendery Fortress will be in the first rows. It was founded in those ancient times when the city of Chisinau belonged to the vast Ottoman Empire. Only with the help of this fortress, the Turks fought back all those who wanted to conquer Chisinau. The fortress stood no matter what the invaders did. Only one attempt was successful, and still not much. A wooden landing on one of the walls was burned down, after which the enemies have driven out anyway. And only Russians managed to conquer the Bendery Fortress in 1770. They lost a decent part of their cannon fodder but still did what they came for. They saw and won. And the fortress still stands. Even though the Bendery Fortress is being reconstructed in some places, but still, most of the walls are as reliable as in their best years. When you get there, you can see how strong it is, and you can see it from a distance. So, it is up to the genius of social networks to decide which spot will be the best as an Instagrammable place - inside the fortress or the view from the distant mountains.
11. Soroca Fortress
Soroca Fortress (Cetatea Soroca) is another Moldovan fortress near Chisinau. It was built by order of the same Stefan, which I was already talking about. Except he didn't entirely build the Soroca Fortress. A long time before Stefan, there were Genoese fortifications in this place, and only their presence allowed them to establish a defensive construction in record time. It is worth noting that this is not exactly a landmark of Chisinau. Soroka is a small town 160 kilometres from the site of Moldova, where is Kishinev located. But what it is, worth mentioning in any case. Soroca is the most exciting city in Moldova. Just the location of ancient houses on the mountain is worth a visit and a photo album on the pages of social networks. The grim view of the fortress opens in the heart of the town. Instagrammable place, as in the previous example, is both the fortress itself and its surroundings.
12. Jewish Cemetery and the Ruins of a Synagogue
At the end of this article, I just can't do without mentioning places like this. Places where the spirit of death is next to the sights. Dark spots, where behind an abandoned view of the ruins, there lies a terrible story. Yes, it's so prosaic. The synagogue at the Jewish burial site is not reconstructed on purpose. Its dilapidated appearance is a kind of monument. It is a monument to what the Jewish people experienced during the long persecutions. Well, what are you thinking now? Did all of these reasons have made you look for a Moldova visa?