Bălţi

Moldova's third-largest city, Bălți sits in the rolling steppe of northern Moldova, with a walkable centre carrying a real café and restaurant scene. First recorded in connection with a 1620 Polish military expedition, the city grew through annual fairs from 1782, was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1812, and passed through Romanian and Soviet rule before Moldovan independence. The Răut and Răuțel rivers run through the city, and it serves as the main transport hub for northern Moldova.

• Population125,000
• Nearest water from center2.2 km
• Nearest mountain from center8.9 km