The route starts with a visit to the National College of Viticulture and Winemaking in Stauceni, where future viticulturists imbibe the secrets of this noble profession. Not far from here, at Ivancea, you can admire an exceptional Museum of Moldovan Handicrafts, situated in the precincts of a wonderful monument of 19th century architecture, the Balioz Manor. At the nearby village of Branesti there’s a good opportunity to be diverted in the labyrinthine underground galleries and in the tasting rooms of the well-known enterprise “Pivnitele din Branesti” (Branesti Cellars). Then the route goes to one of Moldova’s tourist pearls, the famous Museum Complex of “0rheiul Vechi” – a real open air museum with cave monasteries, ruins of three towns dating from different historic epochs (5th-3rd century BC, 13th and 15th centuries) an ancient peasant’s house, museums with more than 4000 cultural exhibits and so on. On the way you can also admire the famous stone flowers, traditional architectural features of the villages in the Orhei region. At Cricova you can take a walk along the streets of a real underground town of viticulturists that extend for tens of kilometres. There’s a fascinating tour and outstanding collection of rare wines to admire before indulging in the serious work of sampling Cricova’s extensive range of wines.

Tags: museums, wine