Saharna Monastery - Tipova Monastery - Chateau Vartely

Route: Chisinau - Saharna Monastery - Tipova Monastery - Chateau Vartely - Chisinau
Duration: 8 h
Our first stop of our tour will be at Saharna Monastery. Initially the monastic complex embodied a small hermitage – Horodiste and a small church dug into the rock honoring of the feast of the Annunciation. In 1776, the monk Vortolomeu Crungul and several other monks came from Russia and settled the complex. They repaired the church and its cells. The hermitage church was built in 1776 in honor of the feast of the Assumption. In 1863, Abbot Serafim built another church for winter services and a series of cells were built. It was in honor of the feast of the Holy Virgin Mother of God. The hermitage church comprises of an altar carved in rock, separated from the rectangular nave by a small iconostas. Some cells are contained in the building site. The front monastery wall was built from rock, so the current wall was also made from stone blocks. Saharna is also famous for its waterfalls. The river Saharna has 22 waterfalls. One of the most beautiful is very close to monastery, falling from a height of 10 meters and forming a deep pool which is called the "Gipsy Hole". Our next stop will be at Tipova Monastery which is one of the most beautiful in the country. It is located above the Dniester and comprises three monastic complex carved into the rock. The monastery is comprised of three monastic complexes. The first complex consists of a church named for the feast of the Holy Cross and some cells. It is far from the other two and hardly accessible. The foundation of the complex dates from XI – XV centuries. In the second monastic complex is the church of St. Nicholas. It was carved in rock the in XIV – XV centuries. The third complex dates from the XVI – XVIII centuries and encompasses 18 separate rooms joined via an interior passage. According to an old legend, the great lord Stefan cel Mare married one of his wives in the Tipova monastery. She is also buried there. Another legand says that the Greek mythological poet Orpheus died at Tipova Monastery. Besides the cave monastery, the area also has beautiful nature. The hills around the monastery are covered with forests where you find many narrow paths. It is also near the Nistru River and a small tributary, Tipova, which forms some waterfalls.Next stop will be at Chateau Vartely which is one of Moldova’s newest wineries. Vartely winery produces a range of fine wines and there are several tasting packages to choose. The winery has several tasting rooms, one where guests can try Vartely wines alongside similarly priced wines from renowned wine regions of the world. After we will back to Chisinau..
Price: per person