Share the article
When you think of Europe, chances are you think of Paris and its iconic Eiffel Tower, or perhaps London and its iconic red telephone boxes, or perhaps, if you like to get a little off the beaten track, Croatia and its pebbled beaches that look absolutely picture-postcard, on the Adriatic Sea.
That’s the Old Continent for beginners.
If you are fascinated by the other side of the moon, where the Haussmann boulevards give way to imposing concrete giants from the communist era, and it is not a shiny Eurostar that takes you where you need to go, but a marshrutka from the nineties, little-known Moldova is all the riotous fun you’ve been craving.
You better get there soon, though: it was once infamously considered the least visited country in Europe, but it’s now one of the fastest-growing destinations.
Moldova is currently the third fastest rising destination in Europe
According to the World Tourism Organization, Moldova is now the third best performing European country in the field of tourism. To be more precise, in the first half of 2025 it saw a whopping 62 percent increase in the number of international visitors compared to 2019.
It officially outpaces many more established destinations on the continent, most notably the Mediterranean country of Malta, which ranks just below at number 4, with a 49% increase in visitor numbers since the pre-pandemic era, and Greece, at number 10, with an even more modest 24% increase.
Only Uzbekistan, variously described as partly European and Central Asian, and Albania score higher than Moldova, with increases of 73% and 122% respectively.
But unlike some of these competitors Moldova has no beaches; it is not exactly known for the permanently snow-covered highlands that attract winter sports enthusiasts; and it’s not exactly the easiest place to fly to, especially if you’re coming all the way from America.
So what’s the problem here?
What have tourists been sleeping on all this time?
Like us Briefly touched on: Moldova’s main attraction is its country off the beaten trackrough character.
It has the distinction of being one of the least visited countries in Europe, but that is largely due to sub-optimal promotion rather than inherent qualities.
From the wetlands and rolling vineyards of southern Moldova, to the capital Chişinău, with its thriving social scene, modernist architecture and lush urban parks, to the underrated north, home to the fairytale castle town of Soroca, it’s a boundless treasure trove just begging to be unearthed.
The best part? It’s strange Calm still. Despite the large increase in visitors, Moldova had only about 400,000 guests in Moldovan hotels and guesthouses this year, of whom 212,200 were foreigners.
Whether you stroll through the capital’s Ștefan cel Mare Park, with its tree-lined alleys and fountain-dominated squares, or explore endless tunnels stacked from floor to ceiling with wine bottles, stretching for as much as 200 kilometers in the world’s largest wine cellarbig crowds are no problem here.
Who would have thought that Moldova would be so affordable?
Speaking of the largest wine cellar in the world, that’s Mileștii Mici for you, just a 27-minute drive outside of Chișinău. Wine tastings and tours start from around $90, and it’s a must-do for oenophiles.
Moldova is a bitterly cold country to visit in winter if you feel like it now, so keep in mind that a visit to these historic Soviet-era wine cellars (Mileștii Mici is one of many dotted around the country) is really the best way to stay warm (and they’re no small potatoes).
Now that we’ve talked about potatoes, it’s probably a good time to mention Moldova’s potato-heavy food can be sampled just as cheap as your slightly generous restaurant tip at home.
A tasty mix of Romanian and Russian culinary traditions, including hearty chicken soups with lots of dill (zeamă), the indisputably Balkan mamaliga (their version of polenta, usually served with cheese and sour cream), and, of course lots of roast pork and lamb.
On average, a meal in a cheap restaurant in the Moldovan capital costs $8.77, or the equivalent in Moldovan leu (the local currency).
If you plan to spend some money, keep this in mind is one of the most budget-friendly destinations in Europe.
So… about the Transnistrian ‘issue’
Then of course there’s Transnistria, or as TikTokers like to call it: ‘The country that does not exist‘.
It exists, de factoexcept that it is not recognized by any UN member state. We suspect they are the spiritual sibling of Northern Cyprus.
To the rest of the world, they are simply a breakaway province of Moldova currently under Russian occupation, although within the borders of Transnistria they hold their own elections (sort of), have their own currency, and even issue their own passports (although we doubt these are of any use outside of Transnistria or Russia).
The self-proclaimed capital, Tiraspol is one of the last remaining Soviet microcosmswith Lenin statues galore, grand boulevards flanked by Stalinist buildings and urban infrastructure essentially frozen in time, back in the (arguably) glorious days of the USSR.
There is a hard border, with passport controls and all, but you can easily visit Transnistria from Chisinau, even though the US government advises against it. It’s anything but an extension of Russia, remember?
If you decide to go – and we should add that most foreigners, including Americans, have no problems – you will be on your own. If something goes wrong at the border, or you get into trouble because you cross an invisible line into a no-go zone in Tiraspol, you will be on your own.
How to get to Moldova
The easiest way to reach Moldova is by flying, usually to Moldova Eugen Doga International Airport (RMO), which serves the capital.
It’s a focus hub for many European low-cost airlines, such as FlyOne, HiSky and WizzAir, so you know the drill at this point: no transatlantic flights doesn’t mean you can’t get there without hassle, it just means you have to add a small layover at a major European airport first.
If you come directly from America, there are a few options: Frankfurt (FRA), Vienna (VIE), Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and, more recently, Bucharest-Otopeni (OTP), in neighboring Romania, where American flights have been organized since this year.
Want to keep the Soviet vibe going? That’s allowed alternative hop on a night train from Bucharest to Chişinău, on a communist-era train that has seen little major improvement in the last twenty years. It’s not the most comfortable journey, but as the kids say these days, you can do it ‘for the plot’.
Subscribe to our latest posts
Enter your email address to subscribe to the latest Travel Off Path breaking travel news, delivered straight to your inbox.
