Moldova, this land locked Eastern European country just so happens to be the least visited European country. So why would should you go?
Well, firstly when your goal is to see the entire world you can leave no country unvisited. Secondly, Moldova is quite an inexpensive destination with more to offer than most people know. That and it’s also a big wine producing country that just so happens to have the two largest wine cellars in the world.
So we booked a long weekend, over the Easter break and headed to the capital city of Chisinau.
Getting to Chisinau
We flew Wizzair from London direct to Chisinau, which is about a 3-hour flight. The airport in Chisinau is quite small and we got through passport control very quickly. I would advise getting some cash from a cashpoint in the airport. This was especially handy for taking the bus to the city center.
The bus fare is 6 LEI (50 pence) per person, and you will need to pay cash to an attendant on the bus. I would recommend having exact change or very small bills as they won’t be able to provide change for large bills. We were planning on taking a taxi, but the bus pulled up just as we walked out of the airport, and it was just too convenient not to take. It’s also way cheaper!
We used google maps to determine what stop to get off closest to where we were staying. It’s about a 30-40 min bus ride to/from the airport/city center.
Getting Around Chisinau
I found Chisinau is surprisingly walkable, and we visited everywhere on foot. I always find that the best way to immerse yourself in the city is to wander the streets and get lost in it. That being said, should you want to take taxis instead, their version of something similar to Uber or Lyft is called Letz and you can download the app and get taxis through it.
I would also advise having a small amount of cash, as although most places take card and contactless, there are a few places where cash was a necessity.
Places to Eat
This is a top pick on Tripadvisor in terms of restaurants in Moldova, and just so happened to be around the corner from where we stayed. Some great options on the menu, but they main draw is their sushi. I have to give them a 10 out of 10 for presentation as our sushi came out with smoke bubbling up from below, as they served in with a bowl of dry ice underneath. Our rolls were delicious and just enjoyed the whole experience.
This is a beautiful place with great ambiance. I would say a bit fancy, but not too pricey. Think waiting staff in white dress shirts and black ties. They were extremely friendly and brought us English menus. We had some delicious fish with veg, and and equally tasty shrimp pasta. Highly recommend a visit here.
Found in Stephen the Great Central Park, this place was truly a surprise. We wanted to sit outside and enjoy some drinks and a bite to eat and luckily stumbled upon an empty terrace so we took advantage. The waiter despite knowing minimal English, was extremely friendly and went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed. We had the best focaccia I’ve ever had with a huge ball of burrata, accompanied by a crispy eggplant salad. One of the best meals we had the entire trip. Plus being able to sit outside and enjoy some Prosecco was a huge bonus.
This is a chain restaurant, and you will come across several locations in Chisinau. They serve traditional Moldovan cuisine, and is a favorite of the locals. For a tasty, affordable meal of Moldovan food, make sure to stop in. You will need to access their menu online, as the menu’s given in the restaurant were not in English.
This traditional Moldovan restaurant not only provides a full menu of Moldovan cuisine, but you will also find wait staff dressed in traditional dress, live music Monday – Saturday, and decorated like you are inside an old Moldovan house. It’s quite popular so I would recommend making a reservation ahead of time, and don’t make the mistake of visiting on a Sunday or you will find yourself in an empty restaurant and missing the traditional music.
Cool bars for drinks
Marlène– Outdoor terrace and exciting cocktails
1516 by Rockscor Brewery – quaint tavern with a good selection of beers on tap, wine and cocktails.
Wine Republic – this small wine shop has a few small tables both inside and outside. Very helpful staff will help you choose some wines to taste. Highly recommended.
Escobar – cocktail bar with a rooftop terrace overlooking Cathedral Park.
Things to See in Chisinau
Cathedral Park – This beautiful green park is located in the center of Chisinau, and is also the location of both Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity and the Triumphal Arch.
Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity – You can’t miss this neo-classical cathedral located in the center of the park. It’s the main cathedral of the Moldovan Orthodox Church and dates back to the 1830’s. The cathedral and the bell tower located in front of it were damaged during WWII and have been restored since . The entrance to the cathedral is free, but there is a dress code that needs to be adhered to, which was unfortunate for me as I didn’t happen to have any head covering that day. Women must wear modest dresses or skirts below the knees, no sleeveless and their hair should be covered. For men it is simply pants and a shirt, as shorts are not acceptable.
Triumphal Arch – It seems this structure is pretty much found in all big cities, so makes sense to find another one here. The arch is located at the top of Cathedral Park along Stephen the Great boulevard. It was built in 1840 to commemorate the defeat of the Ottoman Empire by the Russian empire during the Russo-Turkish war (1828-1829).
Stephen the Great Central Park – This is the main cental park in central Chisinau and is the oldest park in Moldova. This park is greener and has loads of trees – many different kinds actually, as over 50 species of tree can be found here. It was nicknamed the Park of Lovers due to its popularity as a meeting spot for couples. There are a couple of restaurants located in the park (We visited Noema), some coffee stands and plenty of benches for those loved up couples. It’s hard not to miss the large statue of Stephen the Great at the entrance of the park. Stephen the Great is considered a national hero in Moldova for his long resistance to the Ottoman Turks. With the help of the Wallachian prince Vlad III the Impaler (yes the same guy associated as Dracula), Stephen claimed the throne of Moldavia in 1457.
Valea Morilor Park – I would say this is the creme de la creme of parks that we visited while in Chisinau. There is a lovely lake in the middle of the park, and you can rent kayaks or paddle boats to explore the lake further. There is a lovely 2.8mile walking/running route around the park, which made me wish for a moment we had brought our running shoes. One of the highlights of the park is the beautiful white cascade staircase, with a fountain that runs down the middle. The staircase has 218 steps and has some incredible views of the park from the top. The park is also home to Moldova’s smallest statue, The Little Prince (the famed character in the book of the same name by of the French writer, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), which stands at only 115mm tall. You would no doubt miss this small treasure if you are not aware that it’s there. We loved this park so much we were here three times! You can also find a monument of Lenin, Karl Marx and Georgi Dimitrov (the founders of communism) hidden at the bottom of the park. There are so many things to enjoy in this park, I would say it’s a definite must visit!!
Day trips from Chisinau
When I was researching the most popular day trips from Chisinau, “The Best of Moldova” was number one, which included stops at Curchi Monastery, Old Orhei and Cricova Winery. The second was a day trip to Transnistria (the self-proclaimed independent state with a throwback to the former Soviet Union). As we had only two days dedicated to day trips, choosing the most popular two was a no brainer!
Curchi Monastery
As you pull up to this monastery complex it’s hard not to be in awe of the beauty of the landscape around, and the colorful baroque style church that dominates the view. The monastery was founded in 1773-1775 and became one of the most important architectural monuments in the area, as well as being one of the most beautiful, and largest monasteries in Moldova. Like many places in Moldova the churches were destroyed during WWII but have since been rebuilt. So visiting these places now is seeing them in their renovated pristine condition. The inside of both these churches here are so incredible and bright! I was in awe of the artwork literally from floor to ceiling – just too beautiful for words really.
Old Orhei
This is a very important site to Moldova. The ruins from many ancient civilizations have been found here and are still being excavated today. There is a small museum as you pull up that where you can see some of the artifacts that have been uncovered. This historical and archeological complex is set upon an open-air landscape with large limestone cliffs above a valley. On top of these cliffs lies the Wooden Church of the Ascension of St. Mary, which is has recently been restored after years of neglect. There is a small beautiful, manicured garden out front, and the inside of the monastery is another big work of art!
The most famous site here is the Cave Monastery which was carved into the limestone cliffs and dates back to the 13th century. It was so cool to enter the tunnel and follow it down to an old rock carved monastery and see the small chapel illuminated by candles and small windows that were carved into the cliff letting light in. You will also encounter a monk who has lived in this monastery for the last 27 years. If you are feeling brave and not too afraid of heights, step out the back of the cave onto a small limestone ledge with views of the river Raut down below.
Cricova Winery
This was like any other winery I’ve ever been to. In the first instance the entire tour is underground in over 120 km of tunnels. Cricova Winery is the 2nd largest wine cellar in the world, only behind another winery also found in Moldova.
The tunnels here were dug in the 15th century to excavate limestone that was used to help build Chisinau. They were converted to this underground winery in the 1950s. The tour begins by boarding a trolley where you are driven through these tunnels which store huge amounts of wine. The tunnels are named with the type of wine they store (Cabernet Street, Pinot Noir Street, Chardonnay Street, etc.).
Cricova is famous for its sparkling wine, which is made in the same way as Champagne, where the bottles are rotated 45 degrees every two days. Only a handful of workers undertake this manual process and when you see how many bottles are being stored and aged its mind blowing to imagine how long this takes.
It was interesting to learn that there are over 1.25 million bottles of rare wine with the oldest bottle dating back to 1902. The cellars also store the private collections of many famous people (Angela Merkel, John Kerry, and Jill Biden to name a few). The tour wraps up with views of the intricately decorated tasting rooms and then you get to participate in a wine tasting in one of these rooms. They were very generous with their tasting samples, and it ended up being such a laugh getting to know others on the tour group as we all indulged in the large pours! My only regret was that I didn’t bring check-in luggage as I would have definitely bought more bottles of their wine to bring back with me!! If you are a wine lover, then this is your place and make sure you book a visit here.
Full Day Cricova Winery Old Orhei And Curchi Monastery Tour 2024
Transnistria
I had to admit I had not heard of Transnistria until I started planning our Moldova trip, but after reading about it and knowing this was an option to visit I was in!
Transnistria is a breakaway state that proclaimed its independence from Moldova in 1990, and borders Ukraine.
Transnistria is not formally recognised by the UN but does everything you’d expect from an independent country. It has its own currency, border checks, government, police etc.
The official language is Russian, and as soon as you cross the border you will see a shift from things written in Romanian to everything written in Russian. You do have to bring your passport and go through official border control, but they will not stamp your passport. We took a pre-arranged tour with a guide that spoke Russian, which is very helpful as many of the people here don’t speak English at all.
The tour stops at Bender Fortress, which has had loads of renovation over the centuries, and is quite beautiful. Originally established in the 15th century, it was later conquered by the Turks and was further enlarged into an Ottoman fighting outpost. We were able to walk through the fortress, climb the walls and see the countryside around. We then drove further on to Tiraspol, the capital of Transnistria. We had some time to walk around the center of the city and see a few government buildings, a large Lenin monument, The House of Soviets, the tank monument, a bustling market and a beautiful park by the Dnieser river. The tour and sites we saw were incredibly interesting and exploring this breakaway region and learning more about its history really exceeded my expectations.
Final thoughts!
The best part about visiting a new place is when the trip exceeds your expectations. I had very little knowledge of Moldova, nor had any firsthand accounts of a visit here from friends, so honestly was not quite sure what to expect other than the information I found online in my pre-trip research.
I thought Chisinau was quite pretty and really enjoyed exploring the city on foot. The city was very safe and never worried or felt nervous walking around even at night. The parks were so well manicured and beautiful, we could have spent hours just relaxing and enjoying them longer if time permitted.
The food was excellent and affordable, and we loved all the small wine bars and cocktail bars we visited. I learned so much about the city and country and thought all the history was quite interesting. I left Chisinau with a strong fondness and am here to say book your tickets and visit this gem of a country. I promise you won’t regret it!