In the south of Moldova there is a region with its own language, culture and cooking: Gagauzia, an autonomous territorial unit with its seat at Comrat. It is a place few tourists reach, and for that very reason it deserves a stop.
Who the Gagauz are
The Gagauz are a Turkic people of Orthodox faith who settled in southern Bessarabia at the beginning of the nineteenth century, having come from the Balkans. They speak Gagauz, a language related to Turkish, but they are Orthodox Christians — an unusual combination that gives them a distinct identity. The region has had autonomous status since 1994, with its own assembly and symbols.
What to see in Comrat
Comrat, the capital of the autonomy, has an administrative centre, a university of its own and the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. It is a small, quiet town, good for understanding everyday life in the region. The town's museum of history and ethnography helps you grasp the context.
Gagauz wine
All around are vineyards — Gagauzia has a strong winemaking tradition, with large wineries at Comrat and Congaz. Wine is part of the local economy and the local table, and several wineries take visitors for tastings, well away from the standard tourist circuit.
Food and traditions
Gagauz cooking is worth trying: mutton dishes, distinctive sauces, plăcinte (filled pastries) and local wines. The traditions, dress and music differ from the rest of Moldova and make the region a small world apart, in which you feel, in places, as if you were in another country.
Getting there
Comrat is some 90 km from Chișinău, about an hour and a half by car or coach. It can be visited in a day, perhaps combined with a southern winery or a trip on to Cahul.
See also the other places to visit in Moldova.
Southern Moldova, beyond Comrat
Gagauzia is easy to visit together with the rest of the south. To the south-west, the town of Cahul is known for its thermal baths, an unexpected stop in a farming region. Further south, the Lower Prut wetlands, part of a biosphere reserve, draw nature and bird enthusiasts. And the southern vineyards, from Purcari to the Gagauz wineries, make the whole region a wine route in itself.
One piece of advice
The south is less geared up for tourism than the centre of the country, so plan your accommodation and transport in advance. Many villages keep their traditions alive, from folk dress to their particular cooking, because mass tourism has not reached them yet. The reward is authenticity: quiet villages, welcoming people and places you will not see in any brochure.
For anyone who wants a lesser-known Moldova, the south and Gagauzia are exactly the right direction, with quiet and authenticity at every turn.
