Curchi Monastery

Curchi is the largest monastic ensemble in Moldova, founded in the eighteenth century and rebuilt through the nineteenth on a scale unusual for the country, with the Nativity church at its centre in a late baroque style that has been compared to Kyiv's churches. It was closed in the Soviet period and used as a psychiatric hospital for decades, then handed back and restored through the 2000s at considerable expense. The bell tower stands separately from the church and is among the tallest structures of its kind in the country, visible from a long way across the surrounding fields.

What you actually see

• The Nativity church - the large late baroque building at the centre.
• The ensemble - the scale of the complex, the largest in the country.
• The Soviet-era use - the decades the site spent as a psychiatric hospital.
• The restoration - the extensive work carried out through the 2000s.

When to go

April to October is the pleasant season. Services restrict access at times. Winter is cold and quiet.

Honest expectations

The restoration was extensive and much of the fabric is new. Dress rules apply. Feast days bring large crowds.

Nearby

Orhei is southeast, and Orheiul Vechi is beyond it.