Located on the shores of Lacul Danceni, Suruceni is a peaceful Moldovan village west of Chișinău. Since the 18th century, it has been home to the Suruceni Monastery of St George, with the resident Orthodox nuns often seen farming the surrounding land.
Suruceni makes a good base for visiting the Soviet Open Air Museum of Petru Costin, which is renowned for its collection of more than 15,000 horseshoes. It also exhibits military uniforms and accessories from around the globe, together with vintage aircraft and busts of the Soviet leader, Vladimir Lenin.
Travelling with kids? If you drive in the other direction from Suruceni you’ll arrive at Aqua Magic, a family-friendly water park with slides, pools and play areas. Nearby is the Lavande de Luxe, a beautiful field of lavender popular with photographers during the spring and summer months.
Getting there
Suruceni is around 25 minutes’ drive from Chișinău and 35 minutes from Chișinău International Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe and the Middle East. Buses connect to Suruceni and the village is small enough to explore on foot. Renting a car is the most convenient way of getting around the area.