Bald & Bankrupt of YouTube blogger fame once said “Only YouTube Bloggers and Weirdos come to here”.  He was talking about Moldova, one of,, or maybe the least visited country in Europe.  It varies depending on where you read, but Moldova is always up there as the least visited.  That’s why I wanted to come here, among other reasons.

Who could be more interested in visiting a tucked-away country that is rarely visited?  

On arrival I was genuinely surprised, I thought it would be gritty and rundown.  The central area around my hotel is very nice, almost picturesque.  I have two days in Chisinau (pronounced Ki-shuh-nau).  My two days in Chisinau are sandwiched on either side of my trip to Transnistria (aka Pridnestrovie).

This city is perfect for walking, big enough to explore, but not too big that you can’t do it on foot.  On my first day, I went off wandering to see the Parks, and in and around the Cathedral near where my hotel is

The views, the people, and the city were all very pleasant.  Now, there is no Eiffel Tower or Statue of Liberty, but what it lacks in iconic places it makes up for in character.  I’m a big fan of countries like this.

Making my way along the main road through the city of ,,,,,,,,, it lead me to Dendrarium Park.

You had to pay for entry, which was actually a good sign, as it meant they paid someone to take care of it.  It’s not much, but it did create a problem later when I couldn’t find an exit!!

There are not a whole lot of tall buildings here, is it is good to see one and have it as a direction point on a map to get your bearings.  I made my way back towards my hotel and made sure I found myself in different directions.

The language here is a little tricky with very little English, none sometimes.  I thought Russian might be more widely spoken, but it is mostly Romanian.  You can see from my photos that the area in and around Cathedral Park (near my hotel) is really nice, totally safe, and fun to hang out here.

Big Burger, yes, please!

My dinner I did research and found Holz Gastropub, and thought it might be cool to check out what that looks like in Moldova.  I have to say it was pretty darn brilliant actually.  I tried the Vienna lager with a burger and it was excellent.  They did speak English here which made it for a smooth and enjoyable meal out.  The prices were about half of what it is in Seattle.

I did find my way to the Tourist Information Office in Chisinau, which is or was funded by USA Aid and UK Aid.  I’m not sure how that goes now, but it was closed!  It’s only open Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, and they do walking tours on Saturday & Sunday.

DAY TWO

When I came back from Transnistria I headed out to dinner in La Placinte. It was more in the reams of a cafe here, but food and a beer cost 180 Leu, which is around $9. The Placinda is a traditional Moldovan pastry dish, I had one with cheese, and it was delicious.  This is something that can be made to be sweet or savory, and I will be trying to make some at home!

DAY THREE

My final day back here in Chisinau had me touring on foot in the other direction, checking out museums and viewpoints.  One such view is the Otovasca viewpoint.  It’s over an hour’s walk, but a perfect excuse for wandering and just seeing Moldovan life.  Some of the areas were more rundown, but I never for a second thought dangerous.

A Wander Through Chisinau

People were getting on with their day, and traffic was manic, but unlike some countries, made sense, cars and pedestrians all moved smoothly.  I was expecting more signs of Moldova being one of the poorest countries in Europe, but that was not the case, at least not in Chisinau.  The views of businesses, workers, life, and a Chisinau day were all fascinating as I wound my way around.   The realness of Strada Bulboaca was my favorite, it just was full of houses from one end of value to the other, within feet of each other.

Following the chimney as a guiding point. Chimneys are another thing I am particularly fond of seeing. Coming from Northern England, the heart of the industrial revolution, I grew up seeing these everywhere.
They are a nod to an industrial age, and it was cool to see so many in Moldova.

I headed back down the hill to the gloriously named shopping mall called MALL-Dova.  It’s a normal mall, but I wanted to check in out, interesting to see what brands they have here.  Guess, Boss, Calvin Klein, Mango, Puma, and Levis were all in there.

Lunch was on the menu after I visited Planeta Moldova for a locally made souvenir.  I nearly wrecked the joint as I spun around too quickly with my backpack. Fortunately, everything stayed in place, just.
A soup and salad lunch went down well at my hotel, the City Park Hotel before I caught my taxi and rounded out my enjoyable few days in Moldova.  The Transnistria trip was the highlight, but Moldova is well worth a visit and I was bowled over with what a great place this is.

Great food everywhere, nice hotel, nice people, and not expensive at all. What’s not to like. The opportunity to go to Transnistria was just the icing.