We invite you to discover a unique country, with impressive cellars, some of the most beautiful wineries, a unique traditional cuisine, rural areas where time seems to stand still, architectural pearls that teleport you in the past and nature reserves where you will find peace. Enhancing cultural heritage is one of the core missions pursued by the Moldovans while being manifested in a number of different ways: either through arts, music, dance, and artisan crafts or through practical know how and skills inherited over time. Easily noticed could be a series of distinguishing elements marking the authenticity of the indigenous peoples, such as: traditional costume, Moldovan carpets, traditional crafts, and folk music. Travelling across Moldova, you will surely come across some representative locations, where clearly exposed are the elements of cultural heritage.
1. OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW
The territory of Moldova, on the map, appears like a bunch of ripe grapes. If you like to bring from your trips not only magnets, but also unforgettable impressions and unique stories for your friends, the country will sincerely surprise you and fill with everlasting emotions. After all, this is exactly what everyone is looking for in a new journey. All roads to our hospitable country are open. You can get to Moldova by plane – to the airport of the capital, Chisinau, by car, and even by ferry, to the southern port on the Danube.
2. PEOPLE AND THEIR HOSPITALITY
People make our country special! Having decided to visit any corner of Moldova, expect pleasant meetings with open people. Once in a Moldovan village, you will not notice, as you already are sitting at the table and the owner of the house treats you with spicy wine.
The national Moldovan cuisine will surprise you with its sincere simplicity and richness. A savory soup called Zeama, cooked with homemade noodles and Mamaliga – a hard porridge made from cornmeal, which is being cut with a thread. Can you imagine this? Mamaliga is served with Moldovan cheese, sour cream and Tocana (meat steaw). Placintele are prepared from a thin dough with a variety of fillings: cabbage, cottage cheese, apple, pumpkin, and cherries. The warm and hospitable region of the Moldovan people will conquer you, as well as the national cuisine.
3. WINE, WINE AND ONE MORE TIME WINE!
Wine is the pride of the Moldovan people and it makes this country special! Every year, in the first weekend of October, the National Wine Day is celebrated in the central square of the capital. The best winemakers welcome the guests and surprise them with their various wines. The atmosphere of this holiday is striking in scale! You can try many different wines. It is even hard to count!
Dancing, socializing and savoring national dishes create a special atmosphere. Moreover, having gone to a real wine tour of the vineyards and wineries, you can taste the wine of different varieties. In addition, in Moldova, you can visit, with a tour, several wine cellars, whose length is tens of kilometers, and the collection includes millions of bottles of wine. Some of these cellars are included in the Guinness World Records! You still do not believe that there are so many wonders in such a small country?
4. ORIGINALITY
Each corner of Moldova has an incomparable color! In the south of our country live Gagauzi, a temperamental nation with their culture, history, traditions, and of course, cuisine. Only an hour away from Chisinau, and you get to know the atmosphere of other national characteristics. On the left bank of the Dniester River is located Transnistria, a territory where time is still, that can make you feel like living in the USSR. Visiting the unique historical complex of Old Orhei, seeing the cave monasteries and ancient hermitage is a MUST.
No tourist left our country without visiting this picturesque valley. In addition, if you are ready to get acquainted with the ethnic group of Roma, then your way lies to the north of Moldova, to Soroca city, famous also for the Soroca Fortress.
The surroundings of this city will leave you with ambiguous feelings, but you will recall this colorful trip and acquaintance with such a specific nation. And of course – the mighty forests Codrii, situated in the centre of our country.
5. LEISURE
The nature of Moldova will inspire you to an active time spending. The opportunity to raft down the river, climbing or cycling. Fans of hiking will be interested in the unique relict forest Codrii and one of the longest world caves “Emil Racovita Cave”. For those who travel by car – camping sites are equipped in the most picturesque places of Moldova.
To get to know more about the traditions of Moldovans and their folklore you can by going in special tours, where you will be able to do local crafts and dip into the peculiarities of life in the villages. Your trips around the country do not require a lot of time spent on the road, and you can fully enjoy the process of active recreation.
6. SECURITY
Regardless of the daytime, you can easily go for a walk or excursion to the city you like, or make a trip to the countryside, because Moldova is one of the safest countries in Europe. Moreover, a cheap mobile Internet is available throughout Moldova, at the speed of which our country is among the top ten leaders, along with Japan and Latvia. In city parks, cafes and even trolleybuses you can always connect to free Wi-Fi, be in touch with relatives and share impressions about Moldova.
7. UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES
Music concerts, festivals and marathons, every year, inspire the citizens of our country to join the events. The festival of ethnic musicians from around the world “Ethno Jazz”, the “DescOpera” festival, the “Underland Fest”, the festival of colors, as well as marathons, organized in wine cellars, leave expressive memories.To stay informed about the events in our country and plan a trip for visit to one of these events, subscribe to the newsletter, we will tell you about the most significant, and interesting events in Moldova, where we will be waiting for you!
If you are planning to visit Moldova don’t hesitate to visit the National Tourist Information Center, located in the center of the capital – Chisinau.
The center provides information about locations, events, accommodation, tours, itineraries and offers of tourist companies. Tourists benefit from free consultation as well as leaflets, brochures and postcards. The Tourism Information Center is a project powered by the National Inbound and Domestic Tourism Association of Moldova with the support of international projects.
The Association supports the development of tourism products, lobbying and advocacy initiatives and plays an important role in business support for the incoming tourism industry, promoting the image of Moldova as a travel destination.
