Moldova travel guide

As landlocked Eastern European countries go, Moldova is a pretty laid back affair with vineyards and wine cellars forming as pivotal a part of a Moldova travel guide as Soviet history and the fight for independence. Cities, such Chisinau, are key to unearthing the past with numerous monuments to Lenin and Suvorov expanding understanding as you pause for thought and make the most of your time amongst leafy parks and tree-lined boulevards.

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MOLDOVA TRAVEL GUIDE

Religion and wine are important pieces in Moldova’s cultural jigsaw. Romania and Ukraine influence the borders whilst the capital, Chisinau, completes the centre piece and Transnistria remains lost down the back of the Soviet sofa. Moldova is both intriguing and charming, and although Moldovans are slightly reserved they’ll fall over themselves to help you if you're lost or need assistance.

Moldova is mysterious and quaintly charismatic with plenty of Russian influence making it feel decidedly different to other European countries.

Make the most of Moldova with monasteries, such as Orheiul Vechi, and the underground wine cellar at Cricova creating highlights alongside sightseeing in the capital. The forested valleys of Codru Nature Reserve provide natural stomping grounds for outdoor lovers but in the main, Moldova is not a country that will naturally reveal itself so go with an open mind and a Moldova travel guide so as to make the effort to have a really good look.

Read on in our Moldova travel guide.

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Moldova is...

Eastern Europe’s answer to Tuscany in terms of agricultural hillsides and wonderful wine.

Moldova isn't...

likely to open up without good reason so visit with a guide and delve a little deeper.

Things to do in Moldova...

Whether you’re sightseeing in Chisinau or enjoying lunch at a pension in Butuceni, learning more about the secrets and quirky back story of Moldova is much more enjoyable when it comes from a charismatic local guide. From ecclesiastical insight into Capriana Monastery to discovering the trails around Codrii Nature Reserve, exploring with a guide is definitely the best way to find out more about a country that most people couldn’t place on a map. Cross the border. Thanks to Moldova’s rather cosy proximity to Romania and the Ukraine crossing either border is a great way to hem the cultural threads of this pocket of Eastern Europe, with extended explorations into Belarus opening up opportunities still further. Overnight train journeys from Minsk to Kiev and onwards to historic Lviv offer travellers every chance to maximise their time away with overnight stays in the Eastern Carpathians certainly not to be missed for interested hikers. Wine production is big business in Moldova with Cricova’s underground wine cellar well worth a visit, if only for the subterranean train ride that takes in many of the storage facilities and tasting rooms that have been visited by a long list of visiting dignitaries. Smaller, family-run wineries also offer fascinating insight into the deep relationship that Moldovans hold with the land as well as lazy afternoons on the terrace enjoying the sunshine, the food, and the harvest.

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Things not to do in Moldova...

Search for posh nosh. Food in Moldova is usually quite simplistic, rustic fare and includes a lot of meat alongside stuffed cabbage and vine leaves, and freshly made breads and pastries. Sauces tend to be exceptionally flavoursome although not all that spicy, just very tasty. Several posh restaurants offer international fare at international prices but you’d kind of be missing the point as there are loads of excellent and affordable options offering a much more authentic taste of Moldova. Overlook the birdlife. Herons and wild fowl feature prominently within the wetlands of Moldova with the Padurea Domneasca (Royal Forest) reserve offering old growth forests which also hide a small herd of rewilded bison. The bird life along the River Prut, close to the Romanian border, are akin to what you’d expect to see along the Danube Delta with pelicans, cormorant, spoonbills and terns massing around Manta Lake to get twitchers all of a tizzy. Bother brushing up on your Russian. Although Moldova was part of the Russian Empire on and off since 1812, the relationship with Romania is far stronger and Romanian is the official language of Moldova apart from in Transnistria. Salut or buna (hi or hello); buna dimineata (good morning); la revedere (goodbye); da (yes); nu (no); multumesc (thank you); scuza-ma (excuse me); unde este…? (where is the…?) and cât costa asta? (how much is this?), are just a few phrases to get you started.

Moldova travel guide