The Republic Of Moldova – The Land Of Surprises

If you decide you are brave enough to cross the border into Moldova,  Chisinau would be the very first surprise. A city of contrasts, where the old and the new live together. Expect good hearty food, with multi-ethnic restaurants.

But the best surprise of all is the wine. Red, white, rose or sparkling, Moldova has them all. The wineries are sprinkled all around the country, but especially South of Chisinau. Wineries with tradition, wineries that are real underground cities (with street names and cinemas) or small, family owned ones, they charm you to a point you just can’t help add bottles to your already extensive car trunk wine collection. We definitely couldn’t.

ATU – urban winery in Chisinau

The most impressive winery is Cricova, with its underground tunnels that reach a total length of 120 km. They specialise in sparkling wine made with the old method, called “Méthode Traditionelle”, but their reds are just as good.

Cricova underground tunnels

If Cricova impresses with its grandeur, then Et Cetera impressed us with its authenticity and passion. This small gem, set in the middle of a vine and lavender field, simply cannot be missed if you’re visiting Moldova. We’ve already set a date to come back, with family and friends.

After touring the wineries, make sure you still have some time and energy to spare, so you can visit Moldova’s iconic village, Orheiul Vechi (Old Orhei). You will step into a well preserved traditional village with painted gates, fountains and blue houses, set in a natural amphitheatre of limestone rock, with caves still functioning as chapels. Prepare for an authentic experience.

Traditional houses in Orheiul Vechi

Moldova is not what we expected (and if you go there, you simply cannot miss visiting Tiraspol, for a “back to communist USSR” feeling), and it certainly won’t be what you expect. It’s much more. The only way to understand it is to visit it, just like we did.