Let’s go to Moldova!

I’ve been planning to write this post for quite some time and I am really happy that time has come :). For many of you Moldova is just a spot on the map, but for me it means everything. I was born in Moldova, grew up here and it will always have a special place in my heart. Last time I was home, I realized that my country is really beautiful and unique, and worth visiting. For a couple of days I was visiting places as I would be a tourist for the first time in Moldova and I definitely remained impressed and quite surprised. Let me tell you why 🙂

First of all it is really cheap, when you compare it to any trips in Europe, not to mention to the Northern countries. Some places are free to access and to wonder around, others require an entrance fee for less than 5 euros. The most visited are the monasteries and churches because of the strong religious beliefs through the entire history. Today there are some monasteries that have their own history and resemble museums. Below are some pictures from Monastery Capriana, one of the most renowned in the country.

One monastery complex that I entirely recommend visiting is the Orheiul Vechi. The specific of this monastery that dates back to the 13th century is that the first priests to establish here carved the church inside the rock in form of a cave. Till today they kept the church in good order, and when we visited there was one priest who lived in the small cave church. It has an incredible setting overlooking the Raut River.

While in Orheiul Vechi monastery complex, it is recommend to stroll the streets of the small village next to it and to try some traditional food. There is an old house with all the aspects of life kept for tourists. We had a guide who told about how life used to be years ago.

Our guide informed that people from the villages are having small restaurants with typical food and places to sleep overnight. So we stopped at ”La Popas” to have some pies, zeama de casa (chicken soup homemade), galuste (dumplings) and compot (stewed fruit).

Loved very much the tour and the food, and it is perfect for a day trip.

Other must see places in Moldova are the wine cellars and the wineries. From the most famous Cricova wine cellar till the Castle Mimi wine cellar, Moldova is rich in wine cellars. Some years ago I visited Cricova which is absolutely impressive and huge, I guess it is one of the biggest in the world. This year we went to Chateau Cojusna winery and wine cellar, which is located in Straseni district, my birthplace. We had our own guide tour and in the end wine tasting in the special room, with 5 different wines.

The best time to visit Moldova in my opinion is May to June, and September to October. May to June is warm and the start of fruit season along with the barbecue season, while September to October is the harvest time and some of the great festivals take place during this time.

This is all for today’s post about Moldova and I hope that you enjoyed it. It is indeed a nice place to visit and has a lot to offer. As soon as I will visit other places in Moldova will share them with you!