All activities / Museums & Galleries / Chisinau
Museums & Galleries in Chisinau
Moldova's capital, a low-rise, green city of Soviet-era boulevards and leafy parks on the Bic river, and the country's hub for museums, food and the surrounding wine regions.
Why here
Chisinau rewards a museum-first afternoon more than its low-key reputation suggests, thanks to two national collections a short walk apart on the same central street. The National Museum of History of Moldova carries the country's long story, from more than 47,000 archaeological objects to the Treasures of the Past hoard of gold and silver, with the bronze she-wolf of Rome standing at its door as a city landmark. A few minutes away, the National Museum of Fine Arts holds over 40,000 works across a group of historic mansions, running from medieval icons and Bessarabian folk textiles to modern Moldovan painting and European and Oriental art. Together they give you the national narrative and the national art collection in a single compact walk, neither so large that it exhausts you. It is an easy, high-quality half day between vineyard trips, and the best short course in what Moldova has been and how it has pictured itself.
Best months
Both museums are indoor and open year-round, so this works in any season, though the walkable centre is most pleasant from spring to autumn. As a rule the museums close on Mondays and open from mid-morning to early evening. Temporary exhibitions rotate, so parts of a building can be closed for changeovers; check current displays before a special trip.
Getting there & around
Both institutions sit on 31 August 1989 Street in the central district, an easy walk from each other and from the main boulevard. Tickets are sold at the door and advance booking is not needed outside major exhibition openings. Allow a couple of hours for the pair, and combine them on foot with the cathedral park and the city's cafes in between.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (2)
National Museum of Fine Arts of Moldova
OrganizerThe National Museum of Fine Arts of Moldova was established in 1939 and holds over 40,000 works spanning Moldovan and international art, from medieval icons and folk textiles to modern painting and sculpture. It occupies a group of historic mansions on 31 August 1989 Street in central Chisinau, a short walk from the history museum. The permanent displays cover national art alongside European and Oriental pieces, making it the country's principal art collection.
National Museum of History of Moldova
OrganizerThe National Museum of History of Moldova, formed in 1983 under the Ministry of Culture, is the country's leading history museum, on 31 August 1989 Street in central Chisinau. Its holdings include more than 47,000 archaeological objects and the Treasures of the Past collection of gold and silver spanning the 5th millennium BC to the 18th century. A bronze she-wolf of Rome suckling Romulus and Remus stands at its entrance, a well-known city landmark.