Old Orhei is a museum complex that presents the remains of different civilizations established between the Nistru and Prut rivers. It is situated 60 km from Chisinau in a narrow, rocky, 150-200 m deep bend in the Raut River valley. The remnants of the first human settlement can be found in the cliff caves. Up on the top of the cliff there was a strong fortification (V - III c. BC) built by the Geto-Dacian people, who had their own unique calendar at that time. Among the fortification ruins one can find the site of this ancient calendar, which also had the role of an altar for religious purposes common among those ancient communities. On the opposite side of the river one can distinguish the ruins of the "New town" of the Golden Horde called Sheihr-of Gedid (XIII-XIVc.), which according to researchers is considered to be one of the Tartars’ capitals during their expansion into Europe.

After Moldavian solders regained these territories a new fortified stone fortress (XVc.), named Orhei, was built. The foundations remain intact.Also, an Orthodox cave monastery called "St. Maria Dormata" was expanded and modified inside the cliffs by the monks over the centuries and has been preserved in a functional state. Now tourists visit the monastery year round and especially during the religious holidays.


In the middle of the XVIIth c., for geo-strategic reasons, Orhei town was moved 18 km north to the Raut gorge at Vasile Lupu on the orders of the Ruler of Moldova. This helped to preserve the vestiges of the old civilization in a real open air museum complex. Here tourists can also visit "The Peasant Yard" museum (XIXc.), "Trebujeni" landscape nature reserve, and other sights.