A local’s from Moldova guide on how to get and things to do in Tiraspol, Transnistria
I have to admit that despite being born and raised in Moldova, like actually being a local here, Transnistria had never been on my radar. I knew that it existed, and from time to time there were rumours going around that life was actually easier and cheaper there, that’s why some of my school teachers moved there. And they produce Kvint divin or brandy (apparently, it’s not cognac, though it was known as cognac for decades). That was my limit of knowledge about Transnistria.
When I grew up and met some people from Transnistria, I realised that being a citizen of a non-recognized country isn’t very easy, as their passport wasn’t recognized either, so it is my understanding that they have to get Moldovan documents if they want to travel outside the country.
Nevertheless, Transnistria is a very appealing region for travellers, with many of them stating that it preserves the Soviet spirit in its buildings and statues of Lenin. I have already visited Tiraspol a couple of times, and I have to disagree with this assessment, but, apparently, it’s my opinion only. There are many cities in Moldova that have Soviet buildings, and Tiraspol reminds me more of small Russian provincial towns than Soviet spirit frozen in time.
I actually like Tiraspol: it has its own charm and atmosphere, somehow different from Moldovan cities and towns, and I gladly visit it. So here I am going to write about things to do in Tiraspol and how to get there.
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How to get to Tiraspol from Chisinau
Getting to Tiraspol from Chisinau is very easy: buses from the Central Station, located at the central market, depart every half an hour and even more often. Sometimes there are 4 buses in one hour!
The distance between Chisinau and Tiraspol is about 75 km, so it takes about 1,5 to get there. Of course, it depends on the traffic at the border between Moldova and Transnistria, but during my visits our bus was the only one there, so there was no line and it was quick.
We have a website autogara.md (autogara is bus station from Moldovan/Romanian), where you can check the routes and timetables. It is available only in Romanian and Russian, but with Google Translate it is more than manageable. The website allows buying tickets online, I used to do it before, but not anymore as I don’t travel as often, so I am not entirely sure if it still works.
Is one day in Tiraspol enough?
Definitely no! As you will see below, there are so many interesting places to visit and things to do in Tiraspol, so you will definitely need more than a day. If you decide to take a tasting tour of Kvint, it will be around 2 hours, so you won’t have enough time to explore other places. Of course, it depends on what you want to see: if you just want to spend some time in the city centre, then one day is fine. And people can always fit visiting dozens of places in one day because they run from one site to another. To truly appreciate Tiraspol, I would recommend spending at least 1,5 days there.
And consider that you will have to get there and back as well, which also takes time, 3 hours at least both ways.
Where to stay in Tiraspol, Transnistria
In case you decide to savour your visit to Tiraspol in full, you will need a place to stay, and here I can wholeheartedly recommend the hotel I stayed at personally: Park Hotel.
It’s not the cheapest option in the city: if you check booking.com, you will see that there are multiple apartments for rent that cost around 20-30 EUR per night, while Park Hotel is around 50 EUR (when I stayed there, it was around 40 EUR). While there is nothing wrong with staying in a flat, I prefer hotels, but again, this is my personal preference only, and if there are no suitable hotels, I would gladly stay in an apartment.
Now about why I opted for this hotel:
- Location: it’s right in the city centre next to De Wollant Park with easy access to all the sights.
- Views: it’s right on the riverfront and the views from the balcony were amazing.
- New: the hotel is a new addition to Tiraspol, so everything was clean, fresh and stylish.
- Staff: I read the reviews only before I booked it, but then I got to experience personally the exceptional friendliness of the staff and their desire to help.
When choosing a place to stay, pay attention to the location, as some can be more than a kilometre away from the city centre.
Things to do in Tiraspol, Transnistria
De Wollant Park
De Wollant Park is one of the two most popular parks in Tiraspol. It is right in the city centre and runs along the Dniester River. De Wollant was a Russian engineer and architect who built the Tiraspol Fortress and the first districts of the city.
I like this park for the views, antique-looking benches and streetlights, and the atmosphere of the place. And I just have to mention the bus stop that looks like a carriage. You will see here the statues to de Wollant, the famous Potemkin, and, of course, to Empress Catherine the Great. I recommend entering the park through Catherine Gates: this way you will see the empress in all her beauty, and two of her guards at the gates.
And at the entrance to the park you will see the ‘I love Tiraspol’ sign, where you can take some pictures.
Catherine’s Park
Catherine’s Park is just opposite De Wollant Park, and is the other very popular park in the city. I saw a lot of young people there, as opposed to De Wollant Park. There are some fountains, and I specifically like the little figurines around the area.
This park has some other notable places that I will mention below.
Suvorov Square
Suvorov Square is part of Catherine’s Park facing the 25th October Street. And it’s got its name thanks to the imposing equestrian statue of Suvorov, probably the most famous Russian general, that dominates the park. The area is perfect for pictures 🙂
And to make the square more lively and colourful, there are the Flags and Coat of arms of Transnistria on the right from the statue.
Fountain Complex
Another fantastic area close to Catherine’s Park is the fountain complex in front of the cinema of Tiraspol. It is an elaborate system of fountains with water flowing down and water jets going up and down. A perfect place to be on a sunny day.
In addition, at night it becomes a musical light show, a not-to-miss event.
Tiraspol Fortress and Tiraspol Miniature Fortress
The territory that is roughly Transnistria now became part of the Russian Empire as a result of the Russo-Turkish War that ended in 1791. The city of Tiraspol started with the building of its fortress under the supervision of De Wollant and Suvorov in 1792. The adjacent area became residential by the order of Catherine the Great, which explains why these people have their monuments in Tiraspol.
The fortress was quite big and had many buildings like a church, artillery parks, a military hospital, commandant’s house, powder magazines, barracks, stables, workshops, food warehouses. To this day only one powder magazine has survived which houses the museum now. I wasn’t able to visit it when I was in Tiraspol, and I can’t find any information about visiting it.
But in Catherine’s Park there is a miniature version of the fortress, and I absolutely loved it! It is free to visit at any time of the day, and you can walk between the miniature versions of all the buildings of the original fortress. A nice place for pictures, and kids love it.
Tiraspol Mural
There are two Soviet ornaments on the houses located opposite the fountain complex in the city centre. You definitely can’t miss them as they are huge, but I can’t find any information about their history.
One of the ornaments clearly depicts women harvesting fruit and surrounded by a circle of people, most likely dancing ‘hora’, a traditional Moldovan dance. Another one shows a happy family among stars and flying storks.
Storks are symbols of hope and family well-being, and there are many legends in Moldova involving storks. One of them claims that a flock of storks saved defenders of a Moldovan fortress from starvation by bringing them grapes. There is even a divin called Belii aist – White Stork: you can buy it in Kvint shop.
And you can’t leave Tiraspol without checking out the famous Gagarin mural.
The Christmas/Nativity Cathedral
The Nativity Cathedral is the main church of Tiraspol. It is actually new: its construction was finalised in 2000, so it doesn’t have much history behind it. Inside the cathedral is airy, with walls covered in religious paintings in light blue colours. The interesting thing about the cathedral is that it was built on the spot of another church, namely that of St. Nicholas.
If you want to get an amazing view of the cathedral, go to Catherine’s Park.
Presentation of the Child Jesus Church
Personally, I like this small church much more than the cathedral.
It is located in Pokrov Park close to the train/bus station. Just like the cathedral, the church is new: it was built in 2003 on the spot of a cemetery. It has an interesting facade, particularly the staircase: I saw a similar one in Moscow in an old area. But it’s its interior that I find particularly appealing.
The interior reminds me very much of Russian churches. The ornament wall paintings, the flowers, curves and lines, in my non-expert opinion, are made with Russian motives. I like the bright colours of the church, the reds and blues: they create a very special airy atmosphere of peace and calmness. Though I am not particularly religious, I go to this church every time I visit Tiraspol: maybe, you should try it too.
Lenin’s statues
I am sure many travellers come to Tiraspol to see the statues of the famous Soviet leader. While Tiraspol isn’t the only place in Moldova to do it (for example, there is a statue in Comrat as well), it is more well-known.
I personally know of two statues of Lenin in Tiraspol:
- A full-body statue on a tall pedestal in front of the Transnistrian government building
- And a bust at the city hall. By the way, the city hall is a pretty interesting and colourful building in itself.
Both statues are on the same street – 25th October Street, about 2 kms apart.
Memorial of Glory and the tank
The memorial is another notable place right in the city centre. It is dedicated to soldiers who fell during the Second World War, Afghan War and the Transnistria War of 1990-1992. The area is covered in marble slabs with the names of these soldiers.
Of course, there is a tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Eternal Flame. And you can’t miss the T-34-85 tank which is a monument to soldiers fallen during the Great Patriotic War.
At the farther end of the memorial you will see a marble wall of memory with the names of soldiers and civilians who fell during the Transnistria war, and the statue of the Sorrowful Mother.
Victory park
Victory Park is another very popular park in Tiraspol laid out in 1947 after the famous architect Alexey Shchusev visited the city after the war and suggested the idea. It has multiple alleys that lead to the centre with the monument to Kotovsky, a famous politician and military man who excelled during the First World War. There is a playground for kids as well.
The park is perfect to get some shade on a hot sunny day, and for colourful leaves in autumn. I personally like the main entrance gates which remind me of the Russian Empire architecture, which is a bit weird 🙂
National Botanic Garden
I absolutely love the place! Of course, you have to find the right time to visit it as, obviously, in winter it will be very different.
I was lucky to go there in the second half of April, and it was amazing. First of all, it was sakura season, and there are a couple of sakura trees in the garden. Frankly, it was the first time I saw sakura in real life, and it was glorious! Of course, those trees were surrounded by dozens of people taking pictures, but I managed to get some of my own.
Secondly, there were hundreds of tulips of multiple colours and sorts: they were specifically planted for the season. The place was full of yellow, pink, purple and red waves moving with the wind.
Of course, that’s not all, and there are many other beautiful plants and flowers, but my attention was completely caught by tulips and sakura. Then again, you have to choose the time right.
Green market
You can’t leave Tiraspol without going to its market. After all, markets in Moldovan towns are their bustling hearts, and it is always interesting to walk around. Though I wouldn’t choose weekends or an official day off to go there, because it would be too crowded.
Here they sell everything starting with colourful fruit and vegetables and ending with clothes, so do come here for fresh produce. It has a couple of floors, escalators and elevators, and you can get a shopping trolley as well.
Buildings on 25th of October street and other central streets
Like I said, Tiraspol reminds me of small Russian provincial towns, whose main streets are lined with old buildings with amazing architecture. In Tiraspol it is mostly 25th of October street and the adjacent streets with buildings like the Drama and Comedy Theatre, the State University, the city hall, and many-many others.
Just walk around the central streets and enjoy the architecture.
When it comes to the next two places, I haven’t visited them personally, as I neither drink nor am interested in football. But the truth is that they are emblematic and iconic for Tiraspol, and I am sure that you must visit them, of course, if they are of any interest to you.
Sheriff Sports Complex
Sheriff is, maybe, the most famous football club on the territory of Moldova, so if you are into sports and football in particular, you can’t miss this place. The stadium is a bit far from the city centre, but is accessible by public transport.
They have football matches from time to time: I understand that some are free to watch, others are against payment. In addition to watching matches, it is apparently possible to visit the complex on a tour, but I found information about it only in Russian. Because it is difficult to find it, I am not sure this information is updated. Anyway, in case you want a tour, you have to call them and book it at least 2 working days in advance. And it looks like they offer tours in English as well.
KVINT winery
KVINT is one of the most famous wineries and distilleries in Moldova, if you consider Transnistria part of Moldova. It is mostly known as the producer of divin, which is pretty good, I hear.
The plant is right in the city centre, so visiting it is easy. They offer divin and wine tastings which include a tour of the winery and a buffet table, with prices starting at 10 USD per person. You can find all the information on their website.
If you don’t feel like going on a tour, they have a shop with divins and wines right at the entrance, and they accept cash only, unless you have a local bank card.
Where to eat in Tiraspol, Transnistria
I am a creature of habit, so if I find a nice place to eat, I will visit it frequently. The same happened in Tiraspol. So below you can see three places that I went to.
Back in the USSR
I absolutely love this place! I am sure it is recommended by many travellers to Tiraspol, and rightly so. The restaurant is located on Sverdlov Street and, in my opinion, is a blend of Soviet atmosphere and the village spirit of Moldova.
The entrance to the restaurant feels like a museum and is full of Soviet relics, including cars, a Soviet vending machine, some banners, Lenin’s busts and pictures, etc. But the rest of the restaurant itself reminds me of my grandma’s home: maybe, it’s the table cloths, or the wash-hand stand which is exactly the one my grandma had. All in all, a very nostalgic place.
Now, it’s a restaurant, and the food is very important as well. And let me tell you that the food was amazing! I ordered poached eggs with avocado, and my favourite crepes with sour cherries, and everything was so yummy! The menu in general is quite varied: they offer traditional Moldovan food, Soviet dishes and international ones as well, so everyone will find something to eat.
Toscana
Another great place, this time with a modern feel and look. Toscana is located on 25th October Street, right in the city centre, and offers a huge variety of dishes.
As the name suggests, it is an Italian restaurant, so you will find lots of pizzas and pasta here, but they serve burgers, sushi, meat, fish, seafood, Asian food (I know sushi is also Asian 🙂). I love their teas: just make sure to order one. I had their citrus happiness, and it was very good.
They have nice reviews on Google, and I was surprised that whenever I went there, it was never full. I even asked the waitress about it, and she said that it’s usually full when there is something interesting happening in the city centre or if there is a movie in the nearby cinema. And then I remembered that Tiraspol is a small city with less than 130,000 residents, and Toscana isn’t the cheapest place, so it was understandable.
House of Bakery
House of Bakery is located in the huge building at the intersection of 25th October Street and Lunaciarski Street. It is a nice place with lots of desserts, hot beverages and ready-to-eat food. As it is quite small, it gets crowded quickly, so it may be hard to get a table, but many people just buy the food and leave with it.
I ordered hot chocolate and chocolate cake, and everything was very delicious! I know that its score on Google is quite low, 3.7 to be exact, and I see that some people complain about the food quality, but I have no objections. I have to admit though that the prices were higher than I expected, which was surprising considering that salaries in Transnistria are lower than in Moldova.
Tips for travel to Tiraspol, Transnistria
Transnistria is a very special place, and there are some things that you should keep in mind before you travel there:
- The first thing you have to remember is that bank cards aren’t accepted in Transnistria, unless it is a local bank card. It means that you must have cash with you, either euros, dollars or Moldovan leis, they are easy to exchange in banks and exchange bureaus.
- In case you wonder what to do about mobile networks, I can say that Moldovan phone companies like Orange and Moldcell have coverage there. I personally have an Orange phone number, and I could use it there, both for Internet access and calls. But I do have to say that at some places the signal is weaker, or, maybe, even non-existent, but it didn’t happen very often to me.
That’s all for now for things to do in Tiraspol. Do you know of other interesting places I missed?
And I have lots of information about visiting Moldova here.
