Bălţi (Cyrillic Бэлць, Бельцы or Бєльці), after Tiraspol in breakaway Transnistria, is the second largest city in Moldova.

Understand

The main traffic bearing street is Strada Ștefan cel Mare. One block south, the town's commercial centre continues on the pedestrianized Strada Independeţei.

Get in

There are two railway stations. The main one is the north station, Gara de Nord (confusingly tickets will have this station as Bălţi Sloboziya - Бэлць Слобозия). The other, more central, south station is Gara de Sud (labelled on tickets as Bălţi Orash - Бэлць Ораш, meaning Bălţi Town). All trains stop at the north station (even those heading south), though Orash station may be more convenient to travellers heading south towards Ungheni on the Romanian border and Chisinau.

See

Nice pedestrian zone around the central square. Check out the old part of the city.

• 1 St. Nicolas Cathedral (Catedrala Sfântul Nicolae din Bălți). An Orthodox church built from 179 –1795. 
• 2 St. Parascheva Church (Biserica Sfânta Cuvioasă Parascheva). An Orthodox church built from 1924-1935. 

Do

• 1 Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre, MD-3120, Strada Independeţei 1. The programme is advertised outside on a board outside, usually they have a few plays a week. Tickets are sold from a counter on the ground floor, under the stairs. around 25. (updated Jul 2015)

Eat

• 1 Pizza de Italia, Strada Ștefan cel Mare 76. Decent pizza, helpful staff, free WiFi 10:00 - 23:00. 

Sleep

• 1 Konsul Hotel, MD-3112, str. Mircea cel Batrîn, 81. (at the end of the street, on the corner with Vasile Lupu), ☏ +373 231 2 52 15, hotelkonsul@mail.ru. 600 lei for a two-bed room. (updated Jul 2015)

Go next

• Chisinau
• Iasi
• Orhei
• Rîbnița
• Soroca
• Ungheni