National Museum of History of Moldova

The National Museum of History of Moldova is a white stone construction with pyramidal towers in corners and a large scar around which you can see various exhibits. The museum has been located since its inception in the historic building of Gymnasium No. 1 boys, later Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu Boys High School. Since 1987 the History Museum has been located here. Today, it houses 12 exhibition halls and more than three hundred thousand exhibits. Here is presented in detail the history of Moldova from the prehistoric era to the 20th century. In the museum's garden you will find the statue of Lupoaicei – Lupa Capitolina, a copy of the original monument located in the Italian capital, which was donated to Chisinau in 1926. Unfortunately, the monument disappeared without a trace in 1940, but in the late 1980s it was decided to recreate and return it to the museum.

National Museum of Fine Arts

It's impossible not to notice it. The National Art Museum of Moldova captivates you at first sight. Let's go through the chronological axis of the building. In 1897 a real estate property consisting of old buildings on the corner of the district was sold, demolished and in their place was built in 1901 the girls' gymnasium building in the name of Natalia Dadiani, its author being Alexander Bernardazzi. In eclectic style, with a slight Florentine Gothic influence, the building served as the seat of the gymnasium until the Second World War, when the upper part was damaged. In the post-war period, the building managed to serve as a workplace for various Soviet institutions, such as the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the MSSR, the Palace of Pioneers, and the Museum of the History of the Communist Party of Moldova. In order to expand the museum space, a two-storey wing was built to the right of the building, symmetrical to the one on the left, both in terms of location and architectural solution. Since 1988 the main building of the Casa Herța Museum has been closed for restoration and the exhibits have been transferred to the present museum building. The museum holds a valuable collection of religious art, painting, graphics, sculpture, and national and universal decorative art. It has 15 collections, a total of 39,000 exhibition units. I invite you to discover the exceptional works of national artists: Valentina Rusu-Ciobanu, Igor Vieru, Mihai Grecu, Alexandru and Olga Plamadeala, Claudia Cobizev, Lazar Dubinovschi and many others...

National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History

Founded in October 1889, the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History is the country’s oldest museum. It was initially established as a museum of agriculture but then expanded to embrace the study of Bessarabian culture. Today, the museum represents an important scientific and cultural institution with much international acclaim. The museum moved to its current location after its completion in 1905. The architect Vladimir Tsiganko adorned the building with a signature frontal façade which consists of a triangular pediment supported by two Doric columns. The rest of the building, with its partially-stone partially-plastered walls, has a semi-basement appearance. The interior is split into two main sections — one, exhibiting Moldova’s flora and fauna and its transformation over the years. The other, featuring Moldovan people and their traditions, allows visitors to trace Moldovan ethnicity’s evolution. The collection includes paleontological, ethnographic, and archaeological finds. There is a small fee charged at the entrance. The museum is open daily, except Mondays, from 10 am to 6 pm. After visiting the museum, one may also want to take a stroll in the oldest in Moldova botanical garden located nearby.

Water Tower or City Museum

The skyline of Chisinau is a blend of contemporary urban and historic architecture. Coupled with the local people’s warmth and hospitality, it conveys the true essence of Chisinau as a modern city. A perfect place for a traveler, wanderer, romantic, and historian at heart, a trip to Chisinau will surely leave you with long-lasting memories. Historic monuments scattered across the city, make Chisinau an ideal place for a day-long trek with brief sightseeing intervals. One such sight to behold is the Water Tower, located on Bănulescu-Bodoni Street, near the Moldova State University campus. This historical and architectural landmark was built at the end of the 19th century by Alexander Bernardazzi and formed an essential part of the local water supply system. The purely practical designation of this building did not dampen the creativity that went into its design. Divided into two segments, the upper portion of the tower was initially built in wood but destroyed by the earthquake that struck the city at the beginning of the 20th century. The tower was thoroughly rebuilt between 1980 and 1983, using local rock and brick. Nowadays, the renewed building hosts the Historical Museum of Chisinau.

Hertza House

Not far from the Parliament building, along Stefan the Great Boulevard, there is a house that looks like a cake - it is the city villa of Titular Counselor Vladimir Herz, built in 1903, supposedly designed by the Austrian architect Heinrich Lonsky in the style of the Viennese Baroque. The building resembles a birthday cake for its protruding from the roof risolits, and the roof featuring somewhat bizarre-looking domes. The exterior decoration - ornate moulding, vases on top of the facade, richly adorned with bas-reliefs in the form of floral ornament and allegorical figures - completes the front outlook. Inside, the house was once rife with decorative elements too - walls and ceilings adorned with frescoes on mythological themes, lavishly decorated with gilded mouldings. Inspired by Viennese Baroque and Art Nouveau, with a touch of Moorish style, the building represents a beautiful piece of eclecticism, so typical of Chisinau architecture at the turn of the century.