Țipova Nature Reserve · Rezervația Naturală Țipova
Eastern Europe's largest rock-cut monastery, in the Dniester gorge
Trekking the Dniester gorge + entering the 10th-century rock monastery
Yes, for a dramatic landscape: the Dniester gorge and a cave monastery carved into the rock, one of the most striking in the region. A hike that pays off.
Țipova Nature Reserve occupies the rocky Dniester gorge in the Rezina district — a spectacular limestone canyon with a 200 m drop, chained waterfalls and the most impressive rock-cut monastery in Eastern Europe, carved into the cliff in the 10th–12th centuries. The monastic complex includes three levels of cells, a church vaulted directly into rock (Ascension of the Lord) and the legend that Ștefan cel Mare married Maria Voichița here in 1471. The trekking trail (3-4h) descends wooden stairs into the gorge, passes the 4 Țipova river waterfalls and reaches the Dniester — an alpine sight rarely encountered in Moldova. Combine with Saharna (35 min) for a rock-monastery circuit.
- The waterfall is genuinely spectacular
- Well-marked trail
- Total coolness in July
- Free guiding if you meet the caretaker
- Perfect after rain
- The main waterfall from below, through the foliage
- Mossy rocks along the stream
- Light filtered through beech leaves
- Wooden footbridge over the stream
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“A fairytale place. It's a1 hour or 1:45 minute route if you take the long route. Prepare with a lot of patience, water, at least 0.5l per person, and equipment suitable for hiking. Until the end, the waterfall is worth the efort. Did not expect that the waterfalls are so tall in the photos it looks a lot smaller”
“If you are up for a challenge, you can visit this waterfall, but beware! You will have to cross lots of mud, small rivers, wet terrain, many hills and valleys! But in the end, you can see a lot of beautiful flora and fauna, and of course, the waterfall itself. 9/10”
“I drove there from the center of Chisinau. And from the moment of making a right turn to enter the Tipova area, I saw 3 cars passing by. No cars ahead, or behind me. The cascade is pretty far from the parking area. I firstly went to a place which is at the cliff, and then I moved on to the downside around the river. The road wasn't good and a bit not safe. Furthermore no certai…”
- Slippery path after rain
- No signage at some forks
- Mosquitoes in the valleys in July–August