March 26, 2020, 12:51 pm | Read time: 7 minutes
In cities like Amsterdam or Venice, both residents and tourists have been complaining for years about one thing: overtourism. Masses of travelers not only disrupt local life but also ruin vacations. After all, when traveling, people want to get to know the land, people, and culture—not rush from postcard shop to postcard shop with hordes of other tourists. So why not visit one of the least-visited countries in the world? TRAVELBOOK editor Larissa Königs embarked on this adventure in the summer of 2019 and flew to the Republic of Moldova. Her experiences and tips.
The Republic of Moldova, commonly referred to as Moldavia in Germany, is one of the least touristically relevant countries in the world. The small country, with just over 3.5 million inhabitants—about the same as the city of Berlin—was visited by only 145,000 people in 2017, according to the UN World Tourism Organization. For comparison, Berlin welcomed more than 31 million tourists in 2017.
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Accordingly, Moldova is also unprepared for tourists. While almost everyone speaks Russian or Romanian, English is more of an exception. Even in restaurants and cafes, communication is often rudimentary. And when you look at the country’s demographics, there’s initially no reason to travel to Moldova. The population is largely very poor, and life expectancy is almost ten years less than in Germany. Moldova is sometimes disparagingly referred to as the “poorhouse” of Europe—a perception initially confirmed by the capital.
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Chisinau, pronounced “Kishinau,” is the most populous city in the country with about 530,000 residents. However, its status as an economic and cultural center is not immediately apparent. In classic Soviet style, gigantic (and especially gigantic ugly) concrete apartment buildings rise from every street corner. Many are either half-ruined or never completed. Sidewalks are often unpaved or have loose slabs. The quality of the roads is hardly better: they are full of potholes that would make German drivers frown. A small tip: In Moldova, it’s quite common to simply zigzag around the holes.
In addition, people overtake and honk like crazy, stray dogs roam around—all in all, my first encounter with Chisinau ends in culture shock. And for a brief moment, I wondered: Why did I want to come here again? Yet there are indeed good reasons for a vacation in Moldova.
1. Look beyond the facade in the capital Chisinau
Yes, there are many areas in Moldova that are not immediately appealing. But that alone is not an argument against traveling. Other hyped travel destinations, such as Riga, Belgrade, or even Berlin, have just as many unattractive areas that well-meaning tourists like to overlook. And those who give Chisinau a chance and explore the city on foot will see that there are also charming streets here.
For example, if you follow the Boulevard Constantin Negruzzi towards the center, the street leads past charming cafes and restaurants, magnificent buildings like the National Theater or the city’s triumphal arch, or well-maintained parks like Parcul Catedralei din Chisinau. For those seeking more excitement, Chisinau is a great place to explore “Lost Places,” or abandoned sites. You just have to look behind the facade of many concrete buildings: romantically overgrown ruins can be found on every corner.
2. Moldova is unbeatable in price!
Like many former Eastern Bloc countries, Moldova benefits from prices that are very low compared to Germany. The national currency is the Moldovan Leu (plural: Lei). One euro is worth 19.431 Lei (as of July 10, 2019).
Converting sometimes obscures how incredibly little you actually pay. For example, you can get a truly luxurious apartment for 30 euros a night, a rental car for four days for just 80 euros, and dine lavishly for the equivalent of 30 euros a day. Oh yes, including wine—and really, really good wine.
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3. Moldova is a mecca for wine lovers
What many don’t know: Moldova is one of Europe’s leading wine nations. The country is on the same latitude as the French Burgundy region and has perfect conditions for viticulture. Summers are very warm and dry, winters relatively moist. A quarter of Moldova’s total exports are wines, about two million bottles per year; approximately a quarter of the population is employed in the wine industry. There are 127 wineries across the country, and Moldova’s vineyards account for more than two percent of the world’s vineyard area. In 1999, there was a registered vineyard area of 162,000 hectares. For comparison, Germany has only 102,000 hectares.
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With this information in mind, it’s not surprising how proud the people here are of their wine tradition, nor that the country’s biggest tourist attraction is a wine cellar. Big is meant literally here: Moldova is home to the wine cellar with the largest wine collection in the world, Milestii Mici. In the winery, whose underground tunnels are 200 kilometers long, more than 1,500,000 bottles of wine are stored. Tourists from all over the world come to drive along the five kilometers of visitor-accessible paths lined with gigantic wine barrels.
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During my tour of Milestii Mici, I actually felt like a tourist for the first time. At least there are tours, and the guide speaks flawless English. Yet even here, in what is presumably the most touristy part of the country, the level of professionalism is nowhere near what is typical for other tourist attractions. It takes quite a while to find a contact person. No one is available at midday.
4. Alone in the wide field
What annoys tourists the most when traveling? Right: other vacationers. In our globalized world, we always want to go where no one else has been, where we can be completely alone and still experience the true culture and nature of a country. Moldova is perfect for this. It’s a country where tourism has played no role so far. Besides Milestii Mici, the country’s biggest attraction is another country that doesn’t actually exist but is nonetheless independent of Moldova: Transnistria (more info here).
Despite the beautiful nature, there are no national parks in Moldova. But they aren’t necessary either, because the country is far from being an industrial nation, and the landscape is largely comparable to a German national park. This is also reflected in the very good air quality. Incidentally, according to a worldwide study by the University of Leeds in February 2018, the Republic of Moldova is the only country in Europe whose development is within ecological limits.
It’s all the more beautiful to explore the monasteries in Moldova, drive to small lakes, or simply wander through the vast fields and vineyards—all alone, without masses of tourists.
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My conclusion on Moldova
It’s worth forming your own impression of the Republic of Moldova. A weekend trip is definitely fun—especially for those who want to wander off the beaten vacation paths. A prerequisite should be a certain sense of adventure and openness to other cultures and ways of life. And a valid ID card—better yet, a passport. EU citizens do not need a visa.
Then nothing stands in the way of the ultimate Moldovan experience. Here’s to a glass of Moldovan wine: “Noroc!” (Cheers)
