Curchi Monastery · Mănăstirea Curchi

A monastery in the village of Curchi, Orhei district, in the Vatici valley at the foot of the forests, 12 km from Orhei and 55 km from Chișinău by road, per the site. The history on the site: founded in 1773 by the brothers Iordache and Mihail Curchi, first as a wooden hermitage, then with stone churches; the complex took shape in the 18th and 19th centuries and comprises five churches, the abbot's house, cells, a refectory, an entrance tower and a wall. The main church, of the Nativity of the Mother of God, is crimson and white and is mirrored in the lake; the grounds, on a two-level terrace, were turned into an arboretum with rare plants by the academician Alexandru Cibotaru. Posted service schedule: on ordinary days morning prayers at 6:00, the liturgy at 7:30 and vespers at 17:00; on Sundays and feasts the liturgy at 9:00, in Romanian and Russian. Reviews: "one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I've visited in Moldova", with "the main church with its red and white colors" and well-kept gardens; "vibrant baroque facades" and, inside, "intricate frescoes, golden iconostases"; "a very large and very impressive monastery", by a river, with many seating areas and "open to the public for free"; "you can feel that it's an active monastery, but visitors are welcome". Some parts were still being renovated at the time of the reviews. One visitor without a car took the marshrutka from Chișinău bus station to Ghetlova, which stops at the village, but waited a long time for a return and hitchhiked to Orhei.