Vadul lui Vodă

Vadul lui Vodă sits on the Dniester twenty kilometres outside Chișinău and has been the capital's beach since the Soviet period, when sanatoriums and holiday bases were built along the river among pine and oak. The sandy river beach fills through the summer, the woods behind hold what is left of the old rest houses, and the place has the particular atmosphere of a Soviet resort continuing under new management.

History

The settlement was first mentioned in the chronicles in 1432. It grew as a spa and recreation area after 1945, became a town in 1968, when it had about 5,000 people, and several million tons of sand were brought in during the Soviet era to make its wide beach (Wikipedia, Vadul lui Vodă).

What to look for

• The river beach - the sandy Dniester shore the resort is built around.
• The pine and oak woods - the planted forest behind the beach.
• The old rest houses - the Soviet-era sanatoriums and holiday bases.
• The summer crowds - the capital's population out on the river.

When to go

June to August is the season and the water is warm. Weekends are extremely busy. Outside summer the resort is empty and most of it closes.

What to expect

It is crowded and noisy through the summer weekends and litter is a problem. Water quality in the Dniester varies. Many of the old buildings are derelict.

Nearby

Chișinău is southwest, and the Dniester runs northeast.

Key facts