Valea Morilor Park, Chisinau

Valea Morilor Park is a beautiful green space in the Buiucani sector of Chisinau, the capital city of the Republic of Moldova. It was established in 1950 at the initiative of Leonid Brezhnev and was originally named the "Central Park of Culture and Rest of the Leninist Komsomol". The park covers an area of 114 hectares and is located on the shore of Valea Morilor Lake, which has an area of 34 hectares.

The park's varied relief and natural beauty make it a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. It has four entrances and features a 2.5-kilometer ring road that encircles the lake. The park's design was overseen by renowned architect Robert Kurz.

Valea Morilor Park is home to a wide variety of trees, including Canadian poplar, pyramidal poplar, wild chestnut, acacia, maple, white willow, linden, ash, catalpa, black pine, and Japanese Sophora. The lake is also home to several species of fish, including carp and crucian carp, as well as ducks.

One of the park's main attractions is the "Summer Theater", also known as the "Green Theatre". Built in 1957, it has a seating capacity of 6700 and is the largest open-air theater in Europe. Other attractions in the park include the daytime cinema, the children's town "Andries", the beach, and the boat station.

Over the years, Valea Morilor Park has been used as a base for various water sports, including rowing. There were also sports fields and fishing spots for amateurs, as well as a city skating rink on the lake during the winter months. There was even a skydiving tower where visitors could jump with parachutes provided by the park.

Next to the park is the MoldExpo center, which is the largest exhibition center in Moldova. The Cascades Staircase is another popular feature of the park, consisting of 218 steps and longer than the famous Potemkin Staircase in Odessa. The staircase and rotunda were recently repaired and restored to their original condition with the help of a grant from the Local Council of Sector 1 of Bucharest, Romania.