Codrii Nature Reserve, Moldova's oldest protected forest

Codrii is Moldova's oldest scientific nature reserve, established in 1971 in Strășeni district. It protects 5,177 hectares of broadleaf forest in the hills of central Moldova, with almost a thousand plant species, around half of the country's flora. The administration in Lozova is the starting point for visitors.

Nature and landscape

The Codri are the wooded hills that cover the centre of Moldova. In the reserve, mixed broadleaf forest grows on rolling slopes, cut by stream valleys and broken up by clearings. According to IPN, it protects almost 1,000 plant species, roughly half of Moldova's typical flora; the national tourism office also mentions more than 10,000 insect species.

Among the animals are wild boar, roe deer, foxes, hares and badgers. In Moldova the marten is found only here, and the wildcat is listed in the Red Book of Moldova. The reserve is also the only known Moldovan site of the rare land snail Bulgarica cana.

The reserve covers only part of the Codri forest area, which stretches between the Prut and the Răut. Dealul Bălănești, at about 429 metres the highest point in Moldova, also lies in these forests. So visitors find a good example here of the landscape that defines the centre of the country: low, wooded hills with villages and vineyards in the valleys.

History

The reserve was established in 1971, making it the oldest of the 63 nature reserves that Moldova has, according to IPN. As a scientific reserve it has the strictest protection status: much of the forest is left to itself and is intended for research. In July 2021, within its boundaries near the village of Condrița, archaeologists found a hoard from the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture dating from the second half of the 5th millennium BC: copper bracelets, a hammer axe, flint arrowheads and gold objects in an earthenware pot.

Tips for your visit

Start at the administration in Lozova, where there is a small nature museum and a guesthouse. Ask which routes are open: not all of the reserve can be entered freely.
The tourism office mentions rest areas by the lake, small gazebos and overnight accommodation for visitors.
Come in spring for the flowering woodland flora or in October for the autumn colours; summer days are pleasantly cool in the forest.
Combine the reserve with the nearby monasteries of Condrița and Căpriana.