The origins of Chisinau date back to 1420, much of it was settled in World War II, a tragic earthquake occurred in 1940, and the Soviets rebuilt it into what you see today: opulent Stalinist architecture mixed with distinctive post-Soviet modernity and few edifices before World War II. Today Chisinau is a park city where retirees play chess under the shade of old trees, street festivals and sidewalk cafés where you can eat and drink and admire the surrounding landscape.