It is a soft transition.
At first only a few trees stand close beside the road, but as you continue
forward, more trees appear, and the further the road continues, the closer the trees stand together until the open landscape slowly disappears behind greenery and beneath the treetops.
What began as some scattered trees becomes a forest.
Branches stretch above the road, sunlight trying to find its way through the leaves, while shadows move across the road as the wind passes through the canopy.
The warm smell of summer fields slowly disappears
behind leaves, damp soil, wood, and the more cooler forest air.
The deeper into Codrii Forest you get, the older the forest begins to feel.
Large oak, beech, ash, maple, and linden trees cover the hills in every direction while smaller forest roads and paths disappear deeper between the trees and they other plants, as if they have been there forever.
In some places the trees stand so closely together that sunlight barely reaches the ground during summer, while other areas suddenly open into smaller clearings filled with grass, flowers, and warm light between the hills.
But Codrii is not only forest.
Hidden between the hills are smaller peaceful places where people stop for a while and smaller lakes and ponds reflect the trees during calm evenings.
Smoke from grills rises through the forest air while families sit beneath the branches
above them.
Children run laughing between the trees, build small forts from fallen branches, or spend warm summer days playing and bathing near the lakes and ponds hidden between
the hills.
The forest are never completely silent.
Birds move high above the treetops almost constantly, leaves whisper in the
wind, and somewhere deeper inside the forest woodpeckers strike against old
tree trunks hidden beyond the hills.
Sometimes the roads become completely empty for long stretches where nothing else seems to move except the shadows between the trees.
There are also smaller countryside guesthouses hidden near the forests where visitors stay overnight and wake up surrounded by hills, birds, forests, and fresh morning air.
During summer evenings, some are sitting outside for till late, as daylight fades between the trees, insects and birds gradually replace the sounds of the day while the forest settles into a more peaceful time of the day.
Winter changes the forest completely.
Snow covers the roads and hills while branches turn white beneath frost and the forest becomes so quiet that even footsteps sound much louder than usual.
Smoke rises from chimneys hidden somewhere deep between the trees while small roads disappear beneath snow and ice.
After spending some time in Codrii, it becomes easy to understand why these forests have always meant so much to Moldova.
Some places visitors are coming for photographs or attractions.
People are usually comming to Codrii to walk beneath the trees, breathe the fresh forest air, sit beside a lake or a clearing, and spend their time surrounded by nature and some ofcourse to get away from a hectic everyday, in the big City.
Sometimes a few hours are enough, sometimes people are staying there for long and sometimes people just forget about the time, because the Codrii Forest can have that influence on you.
In the early mornings in the forest are looking very different from the rest of the day.
Light fog hangs between the trees while cooler air moves through the forest before the sun fully reaches the hills.
The roads are often empty and only small patches of sunlight break through the treetops.
During autumn, the roads become covered by leaves in shades of yellow, orange, and dark red while colder air are travelling through the forest and everything smells of rain, wood, earth, and wet leaves.
Wildlife lives throughout the forests in- and around Codrii.
Deer moves carefully between the trees during the quieter hours of the
day, while wild boars live deeper inside the reserve.
Foxes, squirrels, hedgehogs, and many different bird species are also part of the forest, even if they are not always easy to spot.
People who spend time walking quietly through the forest often suddenly notice movement nearby before an animal disappears once again between the trees.
Legenda Codrilor
O veche legendă vorbește despre un boier rănit care s-a ascuns adânc în pădurile Codrilor împreună cu ultimii săi soldați și cu aurul furat în vremuri violente ale Moldovei vechi.
Foamea, frica și trădarea i-au întors încet unul împotriva celuilalt până când s-au ucis între ei undeva printre dealuri și păduri.
Sătenii spuneau mai târziu că locul unde fusese tabăra lor devenise nefiresc de tăcut, iar în serile de toamnă cu ceață oamenii vorbeau uneori despre cai auziți printre copaci, crengi rupte în întuneric și țipete îndepărtate venind din adâncul Codrilor.
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Legend of Codrii
One old legend tells about a wounded nobleman who fled deep into the forests
centuries ago together with his remaining soldiers and stolen gold during
violent times in old Moldavia.
Hunger, fear, and betrayal slowly turned the men against one another until they eventually killed each other somewhere among the hills and trees.
Villagers later claimed the forest around the hidden camp became unnaturally silent afterwards, and during foggy autumn evenings people sometimes spoke about hearing horses, branches breaking, and distant screams somewhere deep inside Codrii.
