Leova

Why go

Leova is a place to see how the Moldovan countryside along the Prut lives. The town is small and quiet, with views across the river to the Romanian bank. If you like birds and floodplains, you will find the Lebăda Albă ("white swan") nature reserve north-west of the town, a marshland of pools and channels. For travellers between Chișinău and Cahul it is a logical stop.

History and character

The name goes back to a personal name, Leua or Leva. In a deed of Ștefan cel Mare dated 23 January 1495, a certain Leova and his brother Petru buy land on the Sărata. Leova appears as a market town (târg) in 1806, when Prince Constantin Moruzi allows the owner to collect dues from traders at the annual fairs. After the Russian annexation of 1812 it became a customs and border post on the Prut.

Between 1856 and 1878 Leova, like the rest of southern Bessarabia, belonged once again to Moldavia and then to Romania. At the end of the nineteenth century more than a thousand foreign traders and a small German colony lived here, and the town had five synagogues. The 2024 census counted 6,394 inhabitants, almost all of them Romanian speakers.

What to see and do

In 1819 the town got a new wooden Church of Saint Paraskeva, paid for by a Greek merchant. In the surrounding area run the earthen ramparts known in Moldova as the Valul lui Traian; as early as 1837 a military governor described two ramparts near Leova. Walk down to the bank of the Prut: according to the description of the river, it is navigable from its mouth on the Danube up to Leova.

The Lebăda Albă reserve is of particular interest to birdwatchers in spring and autumn.

Eating, drinking and sleeping

The choice is limited to a few local restaurants and cafés. For a wider choice of hotels, drive on to Cahul or return to Chișinău. In the surrounding villages some families rent out rooms; ask locally.

Practical information and tips

Leova lies about 107 km from Chișinău, some two hours' drive via the road to Cahul. Buses run daily. Bring binoculars for the floodplains, and remember that the Prut is an external border of the European Union here: do not photograph border installations.