Things to Do in Cricova

Cricova refuses to act like any other town; it behaves like a wine cellar that sprouted streets and balconies. A cool limestone scent rises from the 120 km of underground galleries beneath your feet all year, and on damp mornings you’ll catch threads of fog drifting up through ventilation shafts behind apartment blocks. Above ground, Soviet-era towers in faded peach and mint throw long shadows over quiet, tree-lined streets where grandmothers sell jars of pickled gogonele from card tables. The main boulevard, strada Petru Ungureanu, carries a faint mix of diesel and sunflower seeds—drivers crack them at red lights and toss shells onto the asphalt. It’s a working place where delivery trucks roll past the Cricova wine factory gates, yet turn onto strada Viilor and church bells bounce off pastel walls while teenagers practice skateboard tricks on the smooth marble in front of the Culture Palace.

Cricova’s food scene clusters along strada Ștefan cel Mare and the backstreets behind the Culture Palace. Restaurant Cetatea Veche grills mici over grapevine cuttings—you’ll smell the smoke two blocks away—and pairs them with house rosé in thick glass tumblers. For lunch, duck into La Taifas on strada Mihai Eminescu for zeamă (homemade chicken soup with sour cream) and crusty bread; it’s mid-range and favored by office workers. Budget? The bakery on strada 31 August sells flaky placinte stuffed with salty cheese and dill for less than a bus ticket. Evenings, locals queue at the kebab window beside the football stadium for garlicky shashlik wrapped in unleavened flatbread.

September is grape-harvest month—trucks loaded with purple clusters roll through town and tasting halls pour free samples. Days sit around 22°C under sharp blue skies, though you’ll share tunnels with tour groups. Late spring (May) is quieter; hills glow emerald and the underground cellars feel refreshingly cool after sunny walks. Winter brings dustings of snow but the wine keeps flowing—just pack an extra sweater for the 12°C tunnels.