Ialoveni, a wine town next to Mileștii Mici near Chișinău

Ialoveni is a district town about 10 km from Chișinău, with a golden wine goblet on its coat of arms. It borders Mileștii Mici, with its vast underground wine cellars, and is one of the few Moldovan towns whose population is growing.

Why go

Ialoveni is not a classic sight, but it is a good example of how the area around the capital is changing. While most provincial towns are shrinking, Ialoveni grew from about 11,800 inhabitants in 2014 to 14,665 at the 2024 census, as a commuter town for people working in Chișinău. For visitors it is mainly of interest as part of a wine route south of the capital.

History and character

Archaeologists have found traces of settlements here from the third and fourth centuries, belonging to the so-called Sântana de Mureș-Chernyakhov culture. The present name appears in 1639, as Iloveni, probably after a founding ancestor called Ilovan. The stone Church of Saint Paraskeva was consecrated in 1819. The diocesan yearbook of 1922 counted 800 Romanian households here.

In 1977 the village was renamed Kutuzov, after the Russian field marshal, and became a district capital. During the national revival of the late 1980s the inhabitants demanded their old name back. Ialoveni has officially been a town since 1994, and since 2001 once again the capital of the district of the same name. West of the town the Soviet Union began building a large scientific centre for viticulture, which was never finished after 1991.

What to see and do

The town lies in the Ișnovăț valley, among hills that rise to 190 m. Along the road to Costești lies the Ialoveni reef, a protected geological monument: limestone from the ancient Sarmatian Sea that covered this area millions of years ago. The Church of Saint Paraskeva is the oldest building. The coat of arms shows a golden wine goblet on wavy bands of wine red and silver, a clear nod to winemaking.

For most visitors, Ialoveni is above all the neighbouring municipality of Mileștii Mici, where kilometres of underground galleries full of wine lie. Other wineries in the district are also less than half an hour's drive away.

Eating, drinking and sleeping

Ialoveni has local restaurants, cafés and supermarkets, but little tourist infrastructure. Most visitors combine a tasting in the area with dinner and an overnight stay in Chișinău, twenty minutes away.

Practical information and tips

Minibuses run all day between Chișinău and Ialoveni. For wineries a car with a driver or an organised tour is advisable, especially if you want to taste: in that case let someone else drive. Book cellar visits in advance.