Travelling from Chișinău to Tiraspol takes you through villages, farmland and stretches of open countryside and the journey is not particularly long, but there is one thing that makes it different from travelling to other Moldovan cities.
The checkpoint before entering Transnistria.
Most travellers coming from Chișinău pass through the checkpoint near Bender (Tighina) and if you travel by marshrutka, the driver stops at the checkpoint.
As a foreign visitor, you will normally need to get out and go inside the office building, where your passport is checked and you receive your entry card.
The driver and other passengers wait while you complete the formalities.
If you drive yourself, follow the instructions given by the officers and park where directed, you will also need to enter the office building with your passport.
Additional vehicle documentation or insurance may be required.
The migration card is free and shows how long you are permitted to stay and you may be asked where you intend to stay, so have the address ready.
Keep the card with your passport until you leave, as you will need it when passing through the checkpoint again.
Once everything is finished, you can continue through Bender towards Tiraspol.
Tiraspol lies along the Dniester River and has around 130,000 inhabitants and were founded in 1792, the city has wide streets, large public squares, apartment blocks and buildings dating from different periods.
Much of the centre still looks as it did during the Soviet years, although shops, cafés and businesses have gradually changed the streets at ground level.
Suvorov Square is one of the first places worth visiting.
The large equestrian statue of Alexander Suvorov stands in the middle, with the government building behind it.
There are flowerbeds, flags and plenty of open space and are a very useful place to begin walking around the centre.
Along the main streets you will find trolleybuses, small shops, pharmacies, cafés and people are busy with their ordinary day.
Some buildings have been renovated, while others still have old balconies, worn façades and signs that have been there for years.
Tiraspol is quite easy to explore on foot in the central area, although the distances between some places are longer than you would think and perhaps be a bit surprised of the distances.
The Green Market is worth visiting if you want to see something beyond the monuments.
Here people buy vegetables, fruit, herbs, meat and other everyday necessitiesand it is busy, practical and a good place to see the ordinary side of Tiraspol.
Closer to the Dniester, there are places to walk, sit and spend some time away from the traffic and during warmer months, people come here to meet friends, enjoy the weather or simply sit beside the river.
You will also notice the city's monuments, including the tank memorial and the aircraft displayed in a public park.
Churches with golden domes stand alongside Soviet-era buildings, while older trolleybuses continue driving along the streets.
Tiraspol is a city where you can spend several hours walking, visiting the
market, stopping for coffee and looking at the buildings and monuments.
It is worth allowing plenty of time to explore beyond the main square rather than simply arriving, taking a photograph and leaving.
Tiraspolul a fost fondat în anul 1792, iar numele său provine de la
Tyras, denumirea greacă antică a râului Nistru.
-
Tiraspol was founded in 1792 and takes its name from Tyras, the
ancient Greek name for the Dniester River.
