One of the best-loved traditional festivals in the central and north-western part of Moldova returns this summer. The country fair “În ospeție la Movila Măgura” reaches its 11th edition and will be held on 12 July 2026, from 12.00, on the plateau beside the Movila Măgura hill, near the village of Negurenii Vechi in the Ungheni district.
The invitation comes from the Movila Măgura Local Action Group (GAL), which is calling on residents of the Ungheni, Fălești and Sângerei districts — and anyone else — to a day of tradition under the theme “Roots, traditions and eternity”.
A hill that gave its name to a whole region
The mound that gives the festival its name is no ordinary place. Set near the village of Țîghira, in the commune of Negurenii Vechi, the Movila Măgurii rises to an absolute altitude of 388 metres — placing it among the three highest points in the whole of the Republic of Moldova. From its crest, topped with a tall cross, a 360-degree panorama opens out over villages tens of kilometres away.
Studies describe it as a tumulus — an isolated mound raised in the late medieval period (the 15th century) and interpreted as a grave or necropolis. “Măgură” means a large, solitary hill in the local speech; several nearby villages took their name from it — Măgura and Măgura Nouă (Fălești), Slobozia Măgurii (Sângerei), Măgurele (Ungheni). It is precisely this family of villages, spread across three districts, that gathers at the foot of the mound year after year. A local legend even says a treasure is buried in the heart of the hill — stories that, beyond their truth, keep the memory of the place alive.
What happens at the festival
According to the Ungheni district tourism portal, the festival’s traditional programme includes exhibitions of home-made dishes and the work of folk craftspeople, artistic programmes by invited groups, the “Friendship Hora” and a country feast. The Ungheni district Culture Department takes part in the organisation, alongside the local authorities.
Beyond the music and merriment, the point of such a festival is one of identity: it brings together, on the same plateau, villages that share a name and a history but are administratively split between three districts. For the Movila Măgura GAL — an association that unites localities in the area around joint development projects — the event is also a showcase of local heritage and folk traditions.
A summer event close to home
For the residents of the Ungheni district, the festival is an accessible summer event close to home: the host, Negurenii Vechi, is a commune in the district, and stepping into the atmosphere of tradition costs nothing. It is also a chance to climb to one of the country’s highest points and see the whole region from above.
The full programme of the 11th edition — the invited groups and the time of each activity — is to be detailed by the organisers as the date approaches.