Month: September 2025

Although Chisinau can be deceiving in its size, especially in the suburbs, the majority of its notable landmarks (with the exception of the Cascade Stairs) are located minutes from each other meaning one can marvel in a short space of time.

The Triumphal Arch (built in 1840) and Government House sit opposite each other within The Great National Assembly Square. It is worth noting that this is located on one of the main streets running through Chisinau meaning easy wheelchair access…

Located just behind the Triumphal Arch sits Cathedral Park containing the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity and Bell Tower. It is worth noting that steps lead down from the Triumphal Arch, however, with a little navigation, ramps are easy enough to find, even if they blend in.

Now, Google states that there is a wheelchair accessible entrance to the Cathedral, however, one could only see steps. Regardless, these structures still look impressive from the exterior…

A few streets away from The Great National Assembly Square is the Chisinau Central Market, the largest in Moldova. Although steps lead up to a proportion, it is still possible to roll around the majority as a wheelchair user…

(However, a few footpaths are a little narrow!)

Tomorrow, one heads to Valea Morilor Park to explore the notable Cascade Stairs. The question is, can Superbunny2 get onto said structure?

Rolling through the streets of Chisinau very much reminded one of Yerevan, Armenia in terms of accessibility. It is common knowledge that the Moldovan economy is not the strongest and is reflected in the citys infrastructure.

The walk from the hotel into the centre takes around 30 minutes, however, this involves crossing Soviet roads (yes, that old chestnut!). In order for a wheelchair user to negotiate stepped underpasses, it is necessary to detour around a few backstreets. Backstreets in Chisinau equate to either broken pavements or dirt rather than tarmac, not great for Superbunny2! It is much easier to roll with the cars should one encounter this…

However, once one reaches the central area (including Strada Stefan Cel Mare), broken pavements give way to wide avenues, even enough space for a dedicated cycle lane making for perfect rolling conditions…

It is also worth noting that Chisinau possesses an extensive bus/trolleybus network which, for the majority is wheelchair accessible. One would highly recommend using these to your advantage as they reduce the need to navigate the Soviet road system/backstreets. The ramps are a definite improvement on some other countries…

As Moldova is located within Europe, one thought that seeking an accessible hotel in Chisinau would be fairly easy, appears not! Granted, international hotel chains do have a presence in the city, however, many have steps leading to the entrance with a small elevator to the side. As one has learnt, maintenance of such elevators in many Eastern European countries can be flaky. It therefore seemed prudent to seek a hotel with level access which appears rare in Chisinau.

Fortunately, the Courtyard by Marriott is a relatively new development alongside Shopping MallDova containing all you need. Despite this, the hotel only contains one wheelchair accessible room according to reservations. However, said room does have everything one needs including a very spacious wet room with a shower seat. The only downside is that there is little manoeuvring space for a wheelchair…

The plan for tomorrow is to take a roll into the city to the Central Market and marvel at Chisinaus famous landmarks.

Dubbed as Europes least visited country as of 2025, the landlocked country of Moldova sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine is home to stunning landscapes, some of the worlds oldest wine cellars mixed in with Soviet-era architecture.

It’s capital, Chisinau provides direct flights to the UK and is where ones exploration begins. Although Trolleybus #30 runs into the city centre and is wheelchair accessible, it does not operate between the hours of 23:30pm and and 6am. Since ones flight arrived at 12am, it was necessary to seek out a wheelchair accessible taxi, rare in Moldova, let alone Chisinau. Fortunately Taxi48 possess one vehicle for transport within the city limits. Akin to Care390 in Sarajevo, the vehicle isn’t the biggest but serves it’s purpose…

A journey from Chisinau International Airport to the Courtyard by Marriott located in the city centre costs around 200 MDL.

N.B. When one arrived in Chisinau at 1am, the assistance stated that there was no electric wheelchair in the hold and subsequently rushed us out of the airport leading us to believe that London Luton. It was only when one turned on the eSIM halfway to the hotel that Superbunny2s AirTag popped up as being in arrivals. This means that one has to return to said airport tomorrow (Taxi48 have been very understanding) to locate said wheelchair.