Blog

Guides, stories and practical advice for anyone setting out to discover the real Moldova.

Moldova in Winter: Feast Days and CarolsCultură

Moldova 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.

18 July 20268 min read
Read
National Wine Day in Moldova: A Complete GuideVin

National 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.

17 July 20265 min read
Read
Moldova with Children: What Works and What Doesn'tGhiduri

Moldova 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.

17 July 20269 min read
Read
Sleeping at a Moldovan Winery: Rooms Among the VinesVin

Sleeping 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.

16 July 20268 min read
Read
Moldova in Autumn: Wine SeasonWine

Moldova 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.

16 July 20264 min read
Read
Wine Touring Without a Car: How to Reach the CellarsGhiduri

Wine 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.

15 July 20268 min read
Read
Moldova in Summer: June to AugustGhiduri

Moldova 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.

13 July 20268 min read
Read
A Wine Weekend Based in ChișinăuWine

A 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.

11 July 20264 min read
Read
Where to Eat in Chișinău: A Guide by AreaGastronomie

Where 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.

9 July 20268 min read
Read
What to Buy in Moldova: Wine and Local ProduceGhiduri

What 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.

8 July 20266 min read
Read
Where to Sleep near Orheiul VechiLocuri

Where 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.

6 July 20268 min read
Read
Transnistria: What You Need to KnowPractical

Transnistria: What You Need to Know

A region with a special status, unrecognised internationally, with a preserved Soviet atmosphere. What to know before visiting Transnistria.

4 July 20264 min read
Read
Rural Guesthouses in MoldovaGhiduri

Rural 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.

29 June 20268 min read
Read
Gagauzia: What to See in Comrat and Why It's Worth ItCulture

Gagauzia: 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.

27 June 20264 min read
Read
Moldova in 5 Days: The Complete ItineraryGhiduri

Moldova in 5 Days: The Complete Itinerary

A realistic route based in Chișinău, with real distances, logistical traps and days that actually fit together.

23 June 202610 min read
Read
10 Day Trips from ChișinăuLocuri

10 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.

20 June 20269 min read
Read
How Much a Weekend in Moldova CostsPractical

How 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.

18 June 20264 min read
Read
Driving in Moldova: Roads, Border, PaperworkGhiduri

Driving 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.

12 June 20269 min read
Read
Moldova in Three Days: An ItineraryGuide

Moldova 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.

10 June 20265 min read
Read
Northern Moldova: Bălți, Rudi and the DniesterLocuri

Northern 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.

6 June 20265 min read
Read
Butuceni and Trebujeni: Traditional VillagesCulture

Butuceni 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.

2 June 20264 min read
Read
Soroca Fortress: A Visitor's GuideHistory

Soroca 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.

23 May 20264 min read
Read
Moldovan Sparkling Wines: Where They Are MadeVin

Moldovan 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.

19 May 20265 min read
Read
The Dniester Monasteries: Saharna and ȚipovaCulture

The 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.

13 May 20264 min read
Read
Orheiul Vechi: A Complete Visitor GuideNature

Orheiul 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.

6 May 20265 min read
Read
Where to Stay in Chișinău: A Guide by DistrictGhiduri

Where 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.

1 May 20265 min read
Read
Traditional Restaurants in ChișinăuFood & drink

Traditional 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.

25 April 20264 min read
Read
What to Eat in Moldova: 10 Traditional DishesFood & drink

What 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.

16 April 20265 min read
Read
Chișinău’s Central Market and Moldova’s MarketsGastronomie

Chișinău’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.

13 April 20268 min read
Read
Moldova's Native Grape VarietiesWine

Moldova'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.

8 April 20264 min read
Read
The Most Beautiful Wineries in MoldovaWine

The 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.

31 March 20265 min read
Read
The Codru Monasteries: Curchi, Căpriana and HâncuCultură

The 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.

26 March 20268 min read
Read
Cricova or Mileștii Mici: Which Cellar First?Wine

Cricova 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.

19 March 20264 min read
Read
Chișinău in 48 Hours: A City BreakGuide

Chișinău 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.

10 March 20265 min read
Read
A Short History of Moldova for TravellersHistory

A 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.

28 February 20265 min read
Read
How to Get from Romania to MoldovaPractical

How 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.

17 February 20264 min read
Read
Moldova in Spring: April to JuneGhiduri

Moldova 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.

10 February 20268 min read
Read
What Not to Miss on a First Visit to MoldovaGuide

What 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.

4 February 20263 min read
Read
Moldova for Romanians: Your First VisitPractical

Moldova 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.

21 January 20264 min read
Read

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.

From the same family

Travel guides for the whole region