hiking 7 - Moldova Holiday

HIKING ROUTE 7. OLD ORHEI
Hiking route through the cultural and historical landscape of “Old Orhei”. An area of outstanding natural
beauty, shaped by River Raut as it cuts into the high rocky hills of central Moldova. In medieval times, the
river Raut served as a travel route for merchants bringing international commerce from as far away as Mediterranean Greece. It was this river trade which led to the success of Orhei as a medieval city. The historic sites
at Old Orhei (locally called “Orheiul Vechi”), have recently been included in the UNESCO “Tentative List of
World Cultural Heritage”. If selected, Old Orhei will be the first site in Moldova to gain World Heritage Status.
Distance from Chisinau (capital of
Moldova): 60 km to the start point.
Transportation time: 1 hour, one way.
Difficulty: Medium, with some more difficult
sections. Overall this is a varied tour. The paths
are mostly flat, but there are some hills and a
section of dangerous mountain path, so good
hiking shoes are recommended.
Distance: 12 km
Starting point
Defence Wall
Fortress
Museum
Caravan-Sarai
Estimated total time for the route: allow
6 hours, including biking, visiting the
museum, rural village museum and open air
historic sites, the cave monastery, lunch,
sightseeing and photography.
Refreshments and water supply: There is
Turkish
Bath House
Rock Monastery
Museum
of the peasant
household
Church
Dangerous path
Water spring
Defence Wall
Old abandoned
Rock Monastery
one café on the path (in the museum) and one
restaurant (at Butuceni Rural Pension). It is also
possible to buy provisions from small private
shops (’alimentara’) in the villages. In villages it
is customary to help yourself to water from the
wells, though the water should ideally be
500m
boiled before drinking. The route is generally
2000ft
arid in summer but there is one fresh water
spring with good quality drinking water at the
half way point. There are no restaurants or
cafes along the route, so it is best to take a
packed lunch and plenty of water (2 litres per person), in the summer months. In the summer heat you can rest and picnic in the shade of high hills, near
the Turkish Bath, at the old abandoned cave monastery or on the grass areas along the hill tops.
Amenities: Toilet facilities are available at the museum, and at the museum’s rural peasant’s household. There is also a toilet near the church on the
hill above Butuceni village. For any toilet stops in natural areas, please move a distance from the path and 60 m from any streams and lakes. Please
ensure that all solid human waste and toilet tissue is buried in a ‘cat hole’ to a minimum depth of 15cm then disguise the hole.
To minimize damage to Moldova’s natural areas and to allow everyone to enjoy these trails, please follow these simple
‘Leave No Trace’ guidelines for outdoor activity.
• Visit in small groups when possible, consider splitting larger groups.
• Repackage food to minimize waste. Pack it in and pack it out. Inspect your rest areas for trash or spilled food. Take away all trash and left over food.
• Where fires are permitted use established fire rings, fire pans or mound fires. Keep your fires small, only use sticks from the ground that can be
broken by hand. Ensure that your fire is completely extinguished before you leave. Ideally avoid fires by using a lightweight stove for cooking.
• Keep to existing trails, even when wet or muddy. Walk in single file, in the middle of the trail.
• Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures or artifacts.
• Leave Plants, rocks and other natural objects as you find them.
• Observe wild life from a distance, do not follow or approach them. Do not feed wildlife, this damages their health and alters natural behaviors.
Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
• Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience. Be courteous, yield to others on the trail. Let natures sounds prevail, avoid loud
voices and noise.
www.moldovaholiday.travel
Competitiveness Enhancement and
Enterprise Development II(CEED II)
Routes prepared with the assistance of Explore Moldova
www.explore-moldova.com
Directions: The site of Old Orhei offers many hiking opportunities and this route is just one option, focusing on the most popular attractions.
This itinerary begins on the high hill which is the first thing you see when arriving by road from Chisinau or Orhei. In medieval times a defensive
wall was erected here at the narrow end of the hill. When the modern road was built, the western half of this wall was leveled; the eastern half is
still in place. We suggest climbing it, to enjoy the 360’ panorama. The rampart you are standing on is about 10 meters above the lowest part of the
ditch. There will be two more similar defensive systems on our route. As you can see, in the northern part there is a deep ditch.
The south-eastern sector of your view is the area to explore today.
The limestone bedrock which you can see was formed over millions of years, in the warm shallow Sarmatian Sea. Limestone is eroded chemically
as well as mechanically by water, a process which has formed these steep sided valleys. The cave monasteries, excavated ancient buildings, and
the houses that you see in Old Orhei, were all constructed using locally quarried rock. You will see some of these old quarry workings on this route.
As the river has cut into the rocks fossils have been discovered together with many later ice age finds such as Mammoth teeth. These are exhibited
in one of the private museums in Butuceni village. Other archeological discoveries are exhibited in state museum down in the valley (near bridge
to Butuceni) most date from medieval times, when the site was a booming city. The inhabitants required protection from invaders (Turks and
Tatars), so the defensive walls were built on narrow sides of the high hills. In addition, a fortress was built at the entrance to the valley.
As you move further downhill on a steep section of the road, the fortress (or remains of it) will be the next site on our route.
The thick walls served as protection for the wealthiest and most important inhabitants. Many archaeological artifacts have been discovered within
the walls. Go further downhill and follow the road to the museum. Inside the museum there is an exhibition of archaeological finds and a small
souvenir shop.
About 1 km after the museum, on the left hand side of the road, there is a traditional peasant house, maintained by the Orhei museum. With your
museum ticket, you can enter the building and see how villagers lived before electricity, telephones or television.
After the museum house, continue along the same road through the village for several hundred meters until you turn left onto the path which
brings you to the top of the hill. Just below a small bell tower, you will find the entrance to the Cave Monastery. Entry is free and you are welcome
to go inside, but please respect the privacy of the Monk who occupies the monastery during the day. There is a small chapel inside the monastery.
Outside again, climb up to the rock cross, on the cliff above the Monastery. Take care along the cliff top, (especially on a bike). Continue on the
ridge towards the church. Behind it you will find the site of archaeological excavations, an ancient fort has been discovered with the remains of a
defensive wall.
Our route continues along the cliff top, with beautiful scenery looking down over the horse shoe shaped valley, where the city once stood. The trail
demands high attention and is not recommended in wet or icy conditions. Further on it is possible to see another defensive wall with a ditch.
From the defensive earthworks, continue along the path. You will eventually come into Trebujeni village. When you reach the intersection with a
main road (gravel road) you turn left downhill. After several hundred meters the road becomes quite steep and rocky. Take extra care.
Eventually you will arrive at a tarmac road (main street), turn left, go all the way through the center and exit the village. Cross over the bridge and
immediately, on your right hand side, you will see the remains of a Turkish Bath House. The bath house drew its water from the river here.
Cross the bridge again, return to the left bank of the river and walk downstream to visit the fresh water spring and the abandoned cave monastery
with a lot of medieval inscriptions in rock. Walk further along the river, cross the bridge to the right, come back to the fortress and turn right from
here to visit the remains of Caravan-Sarai.
There is so much to see in and around the Orhei complex, but for today our route ends here. There is good quality accommodation in Butuceni (see
www.moldovaholiday.travel) and other suggested attractions are included in: Bike route 3. Old Orhei, also in this series.