Manuc Bey Castle
Manuc Bey Castle in Hîncești — 19th-century French-style architectural complex with underground wine tunnels, 2259 reviews.
Manuc Palace tour + history museum + wine tunnels with 3-4 wine tasting.
A must — a genuine French neoclassical castle (1858–1861), a rarity in Moldova, with a network of underground tunnels and a wine cellar; Pushkin visited here in 1823 during his exile.
Manuc Bey Castle in Hîncești (~35km from Chișinău) is a 19th-century historic architectural complex, founded by Manuc Bey, a Moldovan-Armenian-Ottoman merchant and diplomat, who also founded Hîncești Winery in the 1800s. After his death in 1817, the family modernized the wine operation included on the property. The French-style castle (designed by Alexandru Bernardazzi in the second half of the 19th century) belonged for decades to the Mirzoyan family, descendants of Manuc Bey. Alexander Pushkin reportedly visited here in 1823 during his exile. Today: the restored complex includes Manuc Palace, Steward House, Hunting Castle, Watchtower, history and ethnography museum and underground wine tunnels — tourist favourite for the architecture + wine tasting combo.
- 19th-century castle (Bernardazzi)
- underground wine tunnels
- history & ethnography museum
- Manuc Bey founder story
- Pushkin visit 1823
- natural combo with Mileștii Mici
- French-style castle façade
- watchtower at sunset
- underground tunnel with barrels
- history museum with old objects
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“Interesting little place in Hîncești, 45 minutes from Chișinău. Good little museum next to the "palace" that is a bold reinterpretation of the original mansion. It lacks some curating, but has great potential.”
“Building is ok. Furniture is new and has no connection with epoque. Toilets not working. Outside toilet medieval. No card payment. Only cash. Disappointed.”
“Definitely worth the drive from Chișinău! We visited the Manuc Bey Mansion as part of a day trip and were surprised by how much there is to see. It’s a beautifully restored 1800s estate with a mix of Armenian, Ottoman, Moldovan, and Romanian influence — you really feel like you’re walking through different layers of history. The main house looks like a French chateau, and a b…”
- restoration not fully complete
- closed Monday
- tours guided-only
- 35km from Chișinău