Orheiul Vechi

Orheiul Vechi is the most important cultural and natural site of the Republic of Moldova, situated in the commune of Trebujeni, Orhei district, in the valley of the river Răut, a tributary of the Dniester. Here nature and history intertwine in an exceptional landscape: the broad meanders of the Răut, dominated by limestone cliffs reaching 100–130 metres in height, shelter archaeological remains, cave monasteries and the traditional villages of Trebujeni and Butuceni.

Geology and landscape

The white rocks of the area are made up of Sarmatian limestones, formed over ten million years ago on the bed of a prehistoric sea. The long erosion of the Răut created the spectacular promontories named Mihăilașa, Peștera and Butuceni, which unfold like natural amphitheatres above the valley. The three main meanders, known as Mihăilașa, Peștera and Butuceni, unfold like natural amphitheatres above the water. The combination of relief, biodiversity and rural habitat makes Orheiul Vechi a model of conserved cultural landscape, in which the archaic natural setting merges with an exceptional archaeological framework and with the ethnographic originality of the villages.

History and remains

The place was intensely populated over the millennia. In the 13th–14th centuries, the Tatar-Mongol town of Șehr al-Cedid, from the Golden Horde period, was raised on these promontories; its ruins comprise a stone fortress, oriental baths and a palace. In the 15th–16th centuries, the place came within the Principality of Moldavia, being fortified in the time of Stephen the Great. Later the population moved to the north-west, founding the town of Orhei of today.

What you see here

The main attraction is the cave monastery, carved by monks into the rock wall above the Răut, with cells and a church where services are still held and where pilgrims descend through narrow galleries. From the Butuceni plateau opens one of the most photographed views in Moldova, with the river's meander framed by white cliffs. The village-museum of Butuceni preserves traditional peasant houses, many turned today into rural guesthouses where the local cuisine can be tasted. Here too can be seen the ruins of the fortress, the traces of the oriental baths and the remains of the medieval town.

Getting there

The complex lies about 60 km from Chișinău, reachable by car through the town of Orhei and the village of Trebujeni. It holds the status of a cultural-natural reserve under a special regime, being considered the country's most important cultural site, and is inscribed on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage. The ideal visit lasts a full day, in order to explore both the archaeological remains and the monastery and the landscape and local gastronomy. At the entrance to the complex there is a visitor centre, useful for orientation and information.