Blog
Guides, stories and practical advice for anyone setting out to discover the real Moldova.
Moldova's Cave Monasteries: Which Are Worth It
Tipova, Saharna or Orheiul Vechi? We compare the real effort, the drive and what you get, so you can pick the right cave monastery for your day.
CulturăMoldova in Winter: Feast Days and Carols
The cycle of feast days runs from St Andrew’s to Epiphany, and Christmas is marked twice. What is open, what is closed and why the wineries never notice the season.
VinNational Wine Day in Moldova: A Complete Guide
First weekend of October, Great National Assembly Square, over 60 producers. How National Wine Day works and how to make the most of it.
GhiduriMoldova with Children: What Works and What Doesn't
Under-10s enter Mileștii Mici free, Orheiul Vechi has trails from 1 km, and Țipova is not for small children. An honest guide for families.
VinSleeping at a Moldovan Winery: Rooms Among the Vines
Five wineries in our directory have rooms, seven have a restaurant. If you taste, someone has to drive — or you stay the night. How to choose.
WineMoldova in Autumn: Wine Season
Autumn is the best time for Moldova: the harvest, the wineries in full swing and National Wine Day, on the first weekend of October in Chișinău.
GhiduriWine Touring Without a Car: How to Reach the Cellars
Cricova is north, Mileștii Mici south, 38 km apart. Cricova requires a booking. The four real ways to reach a winery without driving.
Your First Wine Tasting in Moldova: What to Know
Mandatory booking, real tour lengths, who drives and how to pick between four major wineries. A decision guide before your first Moldovan tasting.
GhiduriMoldova in Summer: June to August
DescOPERĂ in June, IA MANIA in July, Gustar in August. What happens in summer, why you need a jacket at 35 degrees, and how to plan your week.
WineA Wine Weekend Based in Chișinău
Two days, four wineries and a château: what a wine weekend based in Chișinău looks like, from Cricova to Purcari.
GastronomieWhere to Eat in Chișinău: A Guide by Area
Centru, Botanica, Rîșcani, Telecentru — what kind of meal each area offers and how to plan your days, with 23 restaurants in the directory.
GhiduriWhat to Buy in Moldova: Wine and Local Produce
Wine from native varieties, divin, honey, preserves, carpets and embroidered shirts — what to buy in Moldova, where, and what to know on the way home.
LocuriWhere to Sleep near Orheiul Vechi
The complex is 52 km from Chișinău, but anyone who sees it only between coaches sees it badly. Butuceni or Trebujeni, entry fees and how to build the two days.
When to go to Moldova: the right month
Wine calls for September and October, hiking for May, and children for June. A month-by-month guide so you don't book the wrong season.
PracticalTransnistria: What You Need to Know
A region with a special status, unrecognised internationally, with a preserved Soviet atmosphere. What to know before visiting Transnistria.
GhiduriRural Guesthouses in Moldova
Staying in the countryside saves you two long drives if you are visiting Orheiul Vechi or the Dniester monasteries. Where the guesthouses cluster and what to ask before booking.
CultureGagauzia: What to See in Comrat and Why It's Worth It
An autonomous region with an identity of its own in southern Moldova. Who the Gagauz are, what to see in Comrat and why it deserves a stop.
Chișinău or Iași: which weekend city break
Two historic capitals 150 km apart, but two completely different weekends. We compare the effort, the cost, the food and what you see in two days.
GhiduriMoldova in 5 Days: The Complete Itinerary
A realistic route based in Chișinău, with real distances, logistical traps and days that actually fit together.
Locuri10 Day Trips from Chișinău
From Cricova at 14.5 km to Purcari at 114 km. Real road distances, driving times and the warnings that matter, ordered by distance.
PracticalHow Much a Weekend in Moldova Costs
Accommodation, meals, transport, a wine tour: what a weekend in Moldova actually costs. Real budgets for three tiers, from budget to premium.
Sleeping at a winery or a hotel in town
At a winery you sleep where you taste and nobody drives. In town you get restaurants, taxis and more producers. A comparison on cost, access and trip type.
GhiduriDriving in Moldova: Roads, Border, Paperwork
What documents you need, where Green Card cover stands, which Prut crossing to use and how long the back roads really take. A guide for drivers from Romania.
GuideMoldova in Three Days: An Itinerary
Three days are enough to catch the essence of Moldova: Chișinău, an underground cellar, Orheiul Vechi and a monastery above the Dniester.
LocuriNorthern Moldova: Bălți, Rudi and the Dniester
Bălți, Rudi Monastery and Soroca Fortress — what northern Moldova is like and why it is worth the two and a half hours from Chișinău.
Fly or Drive to Chisinau: How to Choose
A one-hour flight from Bucharest or a drive via Sculeni? We compare plane, car, coach and train, with a clear recommendation for each situation.
CultureButuceni and Trebujeni: Traditional Villages
At the foot of Orheiul Vechi, two villages seem stopped in time. What you find in Butuceni and Trebujeni, and why they are worth a night.
Moldova as a Couple or in a Group: What Changes
Same sights, two different holidays. How transport, wineries, accommodation and pace shift between travelling as a couple and travelling in a group.
HistorySoroca Fortress: A Visitor's Guide
A well-preserved medieval fortress on the Dniester, linked to Ștefan cel Mare. What to see at Soroca Fortress and what else is worth your time nearby.
VinMoldovan Sparkling Wines: Where They Are Made
Traditional method in limestone galleries at 12–14°C, native white varieties and what to know before you order a sparkling wine in Moldova.
Moldovan Food: What to Order First
Zeama, placinte or country roast? A decision guide for your first meal in Moldova, what to pick at lunch and dinner, and what to skip if you eat lightly.
CultureThe Dniester Monasteries: Saharna and Țipova
Two remarkable monasteries on the steep bank of the Dniester: Saharna, with its waterfalls, and Țipova, the oldest cave hermitage in Eastern Europe.
Moldova in Spring or Autumn: What You Get
Spring brings quiet, green and martisor; autumn brings the harvest, must and Wine Day. We compare the two seasons and say who each one suits.
NatureOrheiul Vechi: A Complete Visitor Guide
Limestone cliffs above a bend in the Răut, a monastery cut into the rock and traditional villages. All you need to know for a visit to Orheiul Vechi.
GhiduriWhere to Stay in Chișinău: A Guide by District
Centru, Botanica, Rîșcani, Buiucani, Telecentru — what each area of Chișinău is like and which kind of visit it suits.
Orheiul Vechi: a day trip or an overnight stay
An hour from Chișinău, it fits comfortably into a day. But the evening light, the home-cooked dinner and the morning on the ridge are serious arguments.
Food & drinkTraditional Restaurants in Chișinău
Where to eat authentically in Moldova's capital: what to order, what it costs and the kinds of places you'll find, from traditional to wine bars.
Soroca and the North in One Weekend
The fortress has short hours and a limited season, and the northern sights are scattered. A two-day plan that accounts for both, plus car-free options.
Food & drinkWhat to Eat in Moldova: 10 Traditional Dishes
Plăcinte, zeamă, mămăligă, sarmale and divin: ten dishes and drinks you should try on a first visit to Moldova.
GastronomieChișinău’s Central Market and Moldova’s Markets
How a Moldovan market works: what is sold by season, how to taste before you buy, when to haggle and why you need cash.
Northern or Southern Moldova: Where to Start
Fortresses, gorges and parks in the north; wine, steppe and wetlands in the south. We compare the two directions and say plainly who each one is for.
WineMoldova's Native Grape Varieties
Fetească Neagră, Rară Neagră, Viorica: the native varieties that give Moldovan wine an identity of its own. What to look for on the label.
Chisinau in 24 Hours: What Realistically Fits
One day in the capital: museums, parks or a winery run? Three ready plans, what each one sacrifices, and how to pick the right one for you.
WineThe Most Beautiful Wineries in Moldova
From the underground galleries at Cricova to the château at Castel Mimi and the reds of Purcari — a guide to the wineries worth visiting in Moldova.
CulturăThe Codru Monasteries: Curchi, Căpriana and Hâncu
Three monasteries in Moldova’s wooded heart, under an hour and a half from Chișinău. How to link them in a single day and what to see at each.
Moldova wineries: the complete visiting guide
Cricova, Mileștii Mici, Castel Mimi and Purcari: what each offers, how far they are, what needs booking and what to pick for a day or a weekend.
WineCricova or Mileștii Mici: Which Cellar First?
Two vast underground wineries near Chișinău. Cricova impresses with well-run tours, Mileștii Mici with a world record. Here is how to choose.
Moldova in a Long Weekend: Three Itineraries
Three days, three ready-made routes: the central wine country, the Dniester rock monasteries or the north with Soroca. Real distances, a verdict for each.
GuideChișinău in 48 Hours: A City Break
Two days in Moldova's capital: the centre, the Central Market, a winery 15 km out, wine bars and how to get around. A full Chișinău city-break guide.
Chișinău in 2 days: a city-break guide
A 48-hour plan for Moldova’s capital: what to see each day, which district to stay in, where to eat, how to get around and what it costs.
HistoryA Short History of Moldova for Travellers
From the principality of Ștefan cel Mare to Bessarabia, the Soviet period and independence in 1991: the history of Moldova, in plain terms.
Your own car or an organised tour in Moldova
Total freedom, but no drinking at tastings. Or transport included, but a fixed schedule. We compare the two on cost, coverage and type of itinerary.
PracticalHow to Get from Romania to Moldova
Plane, train, coach or car: every way of getting from Romania to Moldova, with journey times, routes and advice on crossing the border.
A wine weekend in Moldova, driving from Bucharest
Which border to use, how long the crossing takes, where to sleep and how much wine you can bring back. A realistic wine weekend from Bucharest.
GhiduriMoldova in Spring: April to June
Orchards in blossom, wineries without the crowds and an events calendar that starts on 1 March. Why spring is Moldova’s underrated season.
GuideWhat Not to Miss on a First Visit to Moldova
The top experiences for a first visit to Moldova: an underground winery, Orheiul Vechi, a monastery on the Dniester, traditional food and central Chișinău.
Two days or four: how long you need in Moldova
What you realistically cover in 48 hours, what a third day unlocks, and why the fourth forces you to choose between the north and the south.
PracticalMoldova for Romanians: Your First Visit
The same language, low prices and a country next door: what a Romanian traveller should know before a first visit to the Republic of Moldova.
Where to stay in Moldova
Compare hotels, apartments and guesthouses on the map, across Booking, Airbnb and other platforms.
Map provided by Stay22. Bookings are completed on the partner platforms.
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Where to stay
Real hotels and guesthouses, with prices compared on the map across Booking, Airbnb and other platforms.
SeeGetting there from Romania
Plane, coach, train or car — real journey times, border crossings and the documents you need.
SeeTours & day trips
Organised trips with transport included — useful above all if you are going tasting.
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