Ungheni


Ungheni is a city, municipality and the seat of Ungheni District in the Republic of Moldova.
There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border town with the same name in Romania, on the other side of the Prut River.

History

The first historical mention of Ungheni dates to 20 August 1462. A railway between Ungheni and Chișinău was built in 1875 by Russia in preparation for the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. In the interwar period, the town formed part of Romania. During World War II, it was occupied by the Soviet Union from 1940, then recaptured by Romania in 1941, and then re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944, within which it formed part of the Moldavian SSR. After the war, the rail route through Ungheni became the main connection between the USSR and Romania.

Features and attractions

Gustave Eiffel bridge

In 1876, after the spring flooding of the river Prut, the railway bridge that linked Moldova and Romania was almost destroyed.
The Railways Department invited Gustave Eiffel to Bessarabia to redesign and rebuild the bridge.
Today, it remains a strategic structure under the supervision of border guards.
Th EU proposed in 2023 to lay a new rail 1435mm standard gauge line from Ungheni to Chisinau, alongside the existing 1520mm track, to avoid disruption to existing services.

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, 26,457 inhabitants lived in Ungheni, a decrease compared to the previous census in 2014, when 30,804 inhabitants were registered.

Media

Twin towns – Sister cities

Ungheni is twinned with: