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All Moldova Milestii Mici Mileștii Mici
Gastro Obscura

Mileștii Mici

The largest wine cellar in the world is a 150-mile network of underground caves near the capital of Moldova.

Milestii Mici, Moldova

Added By
Alex Timian
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Corridors filled with wine in the Golden Collection. (vonlohmann/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/vonlohmann/30...
Corridors filled with wine in the Golden Collection. (vonlohmann/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/vonlohmann/30...
Endless bottles of wine. (emandernie/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/emandernie/58...
A map of the underground world. (jrwebbe/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/71494338@N00/...
Don’t get lost in the endless wine tunnels. (Guttorm Flatabø/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/dittaeva/1938...
The wine fountain above ground. (emandernie/Flickr)   http://www.flickr.com/photos/emandernie/58...
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About

Milestii Mici is an underground wine storage facility in Milestii Mici, 15 kilometers from Chisinau. Here, 40-85 meters underground, is the world's largest wine cellar, home to the aptly named "Golden Collection" of over 2 million bottles of wine.

The caves keep the wine at a constant temperature between 12-14 degrees Celsius (53-57 degrees Fahrenheit) with constant humidity year-round. This steady environment maintains the wine to perfection and produces some of the most expensive aged red wine in the world.

Created in the typical Moldovan winemaking process in a factory above ground, the collection stretches over 150 miles. It's so large that visitors and employees navigate the underground network with bikes and cars, with each street named for the wine it holds. Although the collection is massive at present, Milestii Mici still has room to expand: Only half of the total length of the tunnels is presently being used.

Tours of the wine tunnels are available every day and wine tastings and appetizers in one of the traditionally decorated Moldovan tasting rooms are available in many of the various tour packages.

Related Tags

Shops Architectural Oddities Subterranean Sites Wine Underground Architecture

Know Before You Go

Located a half-hour ride from Chisinau.

Community Contributors

Added By

atimian

Edited By

pzaccaria

  • pzaccaria

Published

July 13, 2011

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Sources
  • Milestii Mici: http://www.marisha.net/milestii.htm
  • Travel Chisinau: Golden Collection: http://www.travel-chisinau.com/Golden_Collection_Milesti_Mici_Wine_Tour#cancellation_policy
  • Wikipedia: Milestii Mici: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile%C5%9Ftii_Mici
Mileștii Mici
Milestii Mici
Moldova
46.9198, 28.82298
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Romanita Collective Housing Tower

Chisinau, Moldova

miles away

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Chisinau, Moldova

miles away

Moldova's Little Prince Statue

Chisinau, Moldova

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Moldova

Moldova

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Places 12
Stories 1

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Romanita Collective Housing Tower

Chisinau, Moldova

miles away

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Chisinau, Moldova

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Moldova

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Stories 1

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