Discover Anenii Noi: Wine, memorial sites and nature

Wine culture, memorial sites and natural history give Anenii Noi its different facets. The Dniester flows through the areas of Delacău, Gura Bîcului, Puhăceni, Speia, Șerpeni and Telița. Moldova's Wine Route also shapes the region: Anenii Noi District lies within its wine region. When planning your hotel stay, consider whether you would like to focus on wine and architecture, history or landscape.

Wineries, architecture and culinary experiences

Castel Mimi in Bulboaca combines wine culture with a striking building: this local architectural monument was built toward the end of the 19th century. The tourist complex includes a museum and an art gallery for young artists. Creative workshops, including activities related to folk art and cooking, are also part of the complex. Since these offerings may change, it is best to confirm what will be available before your visit.

The Dionysos-Mereni winery offers another perspective on winemaking. Visitors can tour production areas and learn about the technological processes involved in making wine. The visitor experience also includes rare equipment and exhibits from the 19th century. Before you arrive, confirm both your tour reservation and whether the exhibits will be on display at your scheduled time. This will help you plan the focus of your visit: the production processes, the historical equipment or both.

The Codru Wine Route also leads to Castel Mimi. The route includes a castle tour and lunch or dinner at the Bufnița Albă restaurant. Before your trip, check whether restaurant service and meals are confirmed for your visit date. This gives you the chance to explore the culinary aspects of the wine region as well as the building.

Museums and memorial sites

In Mereni, the Museum of History and Ethnography is housed in a former building of the “Rejep” People's Bank, built in 1910–1911. Its described construction is notable: clay, horsehair and bird eggs make up a distinctive mix of materials, while the floor is laid with terracotta from Germany. The building and museum bring together local history and concrete insights into traditional building and design elements.

Also in Mereni, the open-air museum complex is dedicated to the victims of communism. Its immersive installation, “Coridorul Morții,” is a 35-meter-long tunnel symbolizing the suffering and dehumanization of those sentenced and deported. The “Trenurile Marii Dureri” monument commemorates the deportation trains that transported tens of thousands of people from Bessarabia to Siberia in inhumane conditions. These sites provide a solemn historical focus, distinct from the region's architectural and wine-related themes.

Other memorial sites commemorate different periods of history. The names of local heroes who fell on the battlefields during the 1941–1945 war are engraved in granite on Aleea Memoriei. A monument at the Șerpeni bridgehead commemorates Soviet soldiers who fell during the Iași–Chișinău Operation in 1944. The Museum of History and Ethnography in Speia was founded in 1981.

Striking structures also add to the picture of Mereni: the wooden windmill in Dealul, also known as Mahalaua Țiganilor, is more than eight meters tall and has its original millstones. The metal cross on the hilltop stands 38 meters high. Their different scales and materials make these two landmarks distinct points of reference in the local history.

Landscape and natural history

Pădurea Hîrbovăț Landscape Reserve lies between Hîrbovăț and Bulboaca. The Dobrudja pear grows there naturally. A very different connection with nature can be found at Calfa: the paleontological site is a geological or paleontological natural monument in Anenii Noi District. Its fossil deposits contain remains of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, mollusks and various plants. They accumulated at the foot of a cliff 10–12 million years ago. The fauna collection includes more than 40 vertebrate species; its Middle Sarmatian significance is described as among the richest, most diverse and oldest in Europe.

Seasonal landscapes offer different impressions from the fossil history: visitors come to the one-kilometer-long lavender field near Cobusca Nouă to take in the scenery and photographs; when they leave, they receive a small fragrant bouquet. As the field is seasonal, check the timing and local access in advance. Near Troița Nouă there is also a large field of red poppies, suitable for photo sessions. The flowering period and access arrangements are not specified, so ask for current information before visiting.

Anenii Noi can be explored according to a range of interests: winegrowing and architecture sit alongside museums and memorials, while the landscape reserve, fossils and seasonal blooms offer further themes. Which places you include in your travel plans depends on whether you would like to delve further into historical connections, wine traditions or natural history.

Discover more destinations: Ialoveni District, Ștefan Vodă District, Bălți, Transnistria, Cahul District, Fălești, Orhei District, Drochia District.

For the overview of destinations: Moldova.