Sipoteni village from Călărași district - the place where the springs from woods swarm

The year 2020 was challenging for many of us, but not for the commune of Sipoteni in Calarasi district. It was designated „Youth Capital 2020/2021” through a program funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research.

The Youth Capital is an initiative inspired by the experience of the European Youth Forum and involves the selection of a locality in the Republic of Moldova, in which, during a year, youth activities are concentrated.

You should know that it was not by chance that Sipoteni obtained this title! Located just 10 km from the town of Calarasi, the town is located in the heart of an area with huge tourist potential. For example, the proximity to the beautiful Codri (woods) and the „Plaiul Fagului” reservation, or to the old monasteries from Veverița and Hârjauca, or even to Călărași which houses a rich Museum of History and Ethnography where there are about 10 thousand exhibits with historical value, artistic and cultural.

Located at the foot of the forested slopes of the Central Moldavian Plateau, Sipoteni enjoys a picturesque landscape from four directions. Moreover, the town will be part of a national tourist route that will connect several nearby towns with tourist potential. This product will be implemented by the National Association for Receiving Tourism (ANTRIM), which will make 4 routes that will start from Sipoteni commune in 4 different directions, all with one common goal: developing and promoting rural tourism to stimulate the local economy with the active involvement of young people.

The entrance to Sipoteni commune

And yet where does the town of Sipoteni get its name from? According to the locals and from the folk treasure of the region, the village was founded on the site of a spring called „la Șipot” due to the fact that there was a lot of water. The spring still flows, but in the meantime, it has changed its name, is known in the village today as „Dâră's Whip” – a place of reference for all passers-by who want to make a stop. An alternative legend attributes to the village common roots with a certain boyar Săpoteanu, named after his predecessors made chests made of wood or rush, in which clothes or valuables were kept. Through work, dedication and professional worthiness, the descendant of this family had probably become landowners at the intersection of those valleys and hills, reaching prosperity and helping to form the village and its economic growth.

The spring „la Șipot”

Documents of the time claim that the village was founded in 1440, but the documentary mentions appear later, somewhere between 1568-1572, during the reign of Bogdan Lăpușneanu. But the hearth of this locality is certainly older because in the vicinity of Sipoteni were discovered once multiple layers of human settlements: a fortress from the century. IV – III BC, a necropolis from the 15th century II – I BC and a medieval settlement from the 15th – 16th centuries.

Therefore, we can easily see that this place has been inhabited uninterruptedly since antiquity, being a cradle of the first people who settled here, in the middle of the forests, at the foot of hills and next to crystal clear water.

From ancient times until today, the town has developed and grown, gone through many trials, and today it has become part of an important route from a historical, cultural and economic point of view: the road Chisinau-Calarasi-Iasi, which has been traversed by many historical personalities who have linked their names to these important localities. Today, Sipoteni commune is one of the largest localities in the Republic of Moldova, with an official population of about 7,500 inhabitants. As in the past, the village is surrounded by forests that house wild animals and secular oaks.

The amphitheater surrounded by forests. Photo: Andrei Lazarchevici

One kilometre south of the village is the „In Dos” ravine – a protected area in the category of natural monuments of geological or paleontological type, where once lived prehistoric animals that left their skeletons as evidence that they lived on this earth. Nowadays, this ravine is a place where you can see interesting and rare bird species, such as the lesser spotted eagle (Clanga pomarina) or the woodcock (Circus cyaneus), but also all kinds of forest creatures that are difficult to you see them through the greenery of the forest: turtledoves, dwarfs, moths, barnacles, nightingales and woodpeckers.

In this enchanting amphitheatre of nature, the village leads its life with good and bad, with household chores and plans. The mayor of the commune, Mr Vasile Rața, proudly talks about the implementation of projects at the local level, in partnership with youth organizations. He listed us and showed us the places of interest that the town boasts and hopes to attract tourists. For example, almost 2 km away from the mentioned spring, there is a stop surrounded by the extensive forest - the pension “La Doru”, which is taken care of by the Tanasachi households from Sipoteni. Another family that has decided to experience the agro-tourism potential of the region is that of Mr Mefodii Popovici, who together with his sons maintain a shed with 150 bee families, an impressive orchard of peaches, and apples, and sheep and goats. (It is good to know that goat's milk is rich in phosphorus and vitamin D, being a little poorer in lactose than cow's milk and for this reason, it is more easily assimilated by the body). In Sipoteni commune we also have the village of Tochilă, which, according to the locals, comes from the melting of hemp, a long-standing occupation of the natives.

On the hill to Tochile. Photo: Silvia Ursul

The routes will include many other attractions, already famous nationally: Hârjauca Monastery, „Casa Părintească” Museum in Palanca, „Povestea Codrului” Pension, „Codru” Sanatorium, Răciula Monastery, Oricova Hermitage, Casa Olarului, Manas Yurt village, Bahmut club, Veverița Monastery, „Plaiul Fagului” Reserve, Mircești Winery, Bâc River Spring, „La Doru” Pension, „Poarta Neamului” Pension, Bălănești Hill, Museum of History and Ethnography from Călărași, Dino Ruso Mansion, C „Tataru” and many more!

We hope you reach Sipoteni, in the land of Calarasi and enjoy the wonders of Moldovan nature and the hospitality of the people of the country. Don't stay at home on holidays. Embark on the journey of discovering and discovering new routes!

The article was written by Elena Bălățel and published in the journal Natura on January 24, 2021.