Nisporeni

Why go

Nisporeni lies in the highest and most wooded part of Moldova. The town itself is a modest farming and wine town, but it makes a good starting point for walks in the hills, for Hîncu Monastery and for a trip to the top of Bălănești Hill. If you want to see the Codru without the crowds around Chișinău, this is the place.

History and character

The first mention appears in a boundary deed of 4 January 1618. In the eighteenth century the village had 73 houses. Winemaking was always important here: in 1868 there were 340 wine cellars and presses, and twenty windmills. Those windmills have featured on the town's coat of arms since 2005. In 1938 landslides forced some of the inhabitants to move, and so the district now called Satul Nou came into being.

Nisporeni was briefly a district capital in 1940 and became one again from 1967. In the late 1980s two wineries, a dairy and a cannery operated here; after 1991 many inhabitants moved abroad. Since 2005 the town has been the seat of an auxiliary bishop. At the 2024 census Nisporeni had 9,140 inhabitants.

What to see and do

Since 28 August 2011 the town has been home to the largest cross in Moldova, the Cross of the Redemption of the Romanian People. Two churches are dedicated to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel; the older one dates from 1816. The Casa Națională, the house of culture, is the most striking building in the centre.

Outside the town the real exploring begins. Hîncu Monastery, founded in the seventeenth century, lies in the district's forests. Bălănești Hill, at 429 m, is the highest point in Moldova; the summit is wooded and can be reached by country roads and paths.

Eating, drinking and sleeping

The town has a few simple restaurants. Around Hîncu Monastery and in the district's villages there are pensiuni and guesthouses, often with their own wine and vegetables from the garden. The district is a wine region; ask locally about cellars that welcome visitors.

Practical information and tips

Nisporeni lies 72 km from Chișinău, about 1 hour 15 by car. Buses and minibuses run daily; the nearest railway station, Bucovăț, is 36 km away. For Hîncu and Bălănești a car is practically essential. After rain the unpaved roads in the hills quickly turn muddy. Modest dress is required at the monastery.