Three new tourist routes in Ungheni region developed with support of UNDP and EU

Chisinau, 17 December /MOLDPRES/- In 2024, the Ungheni region enriched its tourist offer with three new tourist routes: “Pe meleagurile Movilei Măgura”, “Bucovina Basarabeană” and “De la Prut la Movila Măgura”, developed by the tourist cluster “Dealurile Măgurii” in collaboration with the Association for Tourism Development in Moldova. 

The routes were created under the programme "EU4Moldova: Focal Regions", funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP and UNICEF.

The tourist route “De la Prut la Movila Măgura” includes 36 sights with a total length of 118 km. The route starts from the village of Sculeni and continues through Gherman and Alexeevca, passing through Rădenii Vechi and the “Plaiul Fagului” Scientific Reserve. It offers the opportunity to visit the Church “Sfânta Treime” from 1890, the village museum, the “Dulce plai” factory and the commemorative sign of Prince G. A. Potiomkin of Taurida. The tour ends with visits to the guesthouse “Vilador Farm” in Slobozia-Măgura, Mircești Wine Cellar for wine tasting and cultural and historical sites in the village of Măgurele and Mircești.

The second route, entitled “Pe meleagurile Movilei Măgura”, is 65 km long and lasts 8-9 hours. It offers a diversified experience, including tastings of local herbal teas and visits to the “Vilador Farm” guesthouse in Slobozia-Măgura village, Sîngerei district, which offers accommodation, meals, and recreation. On the way, tourists can explore Movila Măgura and the village of Slobozia-Măgura, where the Church “Sfânta Treime” is located. In the village of Măgurele you can visit the parental home of the humorist Efim Tarlapan, the Țiglău Hill with its three crosses, the village museum and the church “Sfinții Mihail și Gavriil”.

In Mircești there are places of historical significance such as the house of the fisherman Samson Hurghiș, the school built in 1930 and the pristine wooden church “Sfântul Arhanghel Mihail”. The itinerary also includes a visit to the Monastery “Sfântul Proroc Ilie Tesviteanul” and the Mircești Wine Cellar, where wine tastings are organized. The “Vilador Farm” Guesthouse and the Mircești Wine Cellar, part of the “Dealurile Măgurii” Tourist Cluster, offer services for guests, while the “Vilador Farm” also functions as a tourist information center.  

The third route called “Bucovina Basarabeană” is 50 km long and is partly pedestrian. The trail starts from the Bahmut intersection and continues to the “Plaiul Fagului” Scientific Reserve, 4 km away. The next stop is the village of Rădenii Vechi, 5.6 km away, where you can visit the Church “Sfânta Treime”, the village museum in the House of Culture, the “Dulce Plai” Factory and the Memorial of Prince G. A. Potiomkin of Taurida. At a distance of 25 km is the village of Pîrlița, which offers a local route with attractions such as the Village Museum, the Church “Sfântul Ioan Botezătorul”, the site of the former wooden church “Sfântul Ioan Botezătorul”, the ruins of the Carastachi-Buharin family mansion, a stretch of the old, cobbled street, the former primary school and the Museum of Agricultural Technology. The trail ends at the Pension “Plopii fără soț”, 8 km away.

Each route capitalizes on the region's advantageous location and highlights its unique landscapes and biodiversity, along with tourist attractions such as nature reserves, iconic mounds, and authentic local traditions. The trails are designed to cater for different preferences and vary in length, from five-hour excursions to two-day itineraries that include stops and activities as diverse as hiking, visits to cultural sites and tastings of local produce.

"These routes are of important value for the region's past and present, as they combine authentic local treasures and represent new tourist attractions. The developed tourist routes bring diversity to the tourist offer of the region and capitalize on the natural and man-made tourist resources of the Ungheni region," said Viorel Prisăcari, manager of the tourist cluster “Dealurile Măgurii”. 

The tourist cluster “Dealurile Măgurii” is one of the eight clusters supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the programme "EU4Moldova: Focal Regions", funded by the European Union. The cluster has received financial support worth €100,000, used for the development of tourism infrastructure, promotion and support to local entrepreneurs involved in tourism.

The new tourist trails were developed in 2024 and complement the tourist offer of Ungheni, which from 2021 will have its own brand, aimed at strengthening the region's competitiveness in multiple areas, including tourism, investment, business attraction, exports, external promotion, and attraction of human capital.

Through its projects, UNDP has supported the development of 25 other tourist routes.