Chișinău: underground vineyards in Moldova's capital

The Cathedral of the Nativity, a neoclassical Orthodox church in the heart of the capital, rises next to a bell tower rebuilt after destruction in the Soviet era.

A short walk away, the Triumphal Arch, a nineteenth-century monument, marks the entrance to the city's main public park, frequented daily by residents.

Just outside Chișinău, the Mileștii Mici Wine Cellars, excavated in underground galleries over two hundred kilometers long, house one of the world's largest wine collections by number of bottles.

Toward evening, the historic center offers tastings of Moldovan wines, produced by vineyards covering much of the territory of the small country.

The Mileștii Mici cellars, recognized by Guinness World Records, house over one and a half million bottles in underground galleries vast enough to drive through.

Despite being one of Europe's smallest countries, Moldova remains among the continent's largest wine producers, a winemaking tradition dating back millennia in this region.