Cricova Underground Wine Cellars
An underground city of limestone galleries with named streets, tasting halls and a national wine collection.
Cricova lies about fifteen kilometres north of Chișinău, above a limestone quarry whose stone was cut to build the capital. From 1952 the disused workings were converted into wine cellars, taking advantage of the constant temperature and humidity many tens of metres below ground. The galleries now form a labyrinth of underground streets, wide enough for vehicles and signposted with the names of the wines stored along them, such as Cabernet, Feteasca and Pinot. Visitors are driven through the tunnels on small electric trains as part of the guided tour.
Cricova produces still and sparkling wines, the latter made by the traditional bottle-fermented method, and the cellars include riddling halls, a subterranean cinema and several tasting rooms carved out of the rock. The national wine collection kept here holds tens of thousands of bottles, among them rare pre-war European vintages. The site has been designated part of Moldova's cultural heritage and is one of the country's most visited attractions, usually reached as a half-day trip from Chișinău.
Highlights
- Underground streets named after the wines stored along them
- Rock-cut tasting halls and a subterranean cinema
- National wine collection with rare pre-war vintages
- Sparkling wine made by the traditional bottle-fermented method
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