Is Chisinau Worth Visiting? What to Expect from a Moldova Holiday

Ah, Moldova.

The poorest country in Europe and often cited as the unhappiest place in the world, Moldova is not a place that makes it onto the Europe itinerary of most backpackers. 

Sandwiched in between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova is actually one of the least visited countries in Europe, with only 12,000 visitors annually (only outdone by Lichtenstein and San Marino)!

This is in sharp contrast to other European destinations, with Paris alone receiving 50 million tourists every year, and France as a nation receiving 90 million. 

If you choose to visit Chisinau, you’re choosing to get truly off the beaten track in Europe and delve into the unknown, into a place where time came to a halt 20 years ago.

Is Chisinau Worth Visiting? It depends | Vacation in Moldova

Why did I visit Chisinau?

Is Chisinau worth visiting?

Everybody I met who had already been told me that it wasn’t.

Chisinau (also known as Kishinev) is the capital city of Moldova, and my fellow travellers seemed to share the sentiment that ‘It’s depressing, there’s nothing to do there.’ 

Most of them had only been to tick a vacation in Moldova off their lists, including a guy I met in my hostel who was visiting Chisinau for just 2 HOURS in a bid to see every country in the world in 12 months. 

I didn’t want to be that guy.

I wanted to visit Chisinau and dig a little deeper. I wanted to find a reason to love this poor, neglected country and write a glowing article telling you all of the reasons why you should visit Chisinau at your earliest convenience. 

Unfortunately, this article is not going to do that.

I was so desperate to fall in love with Chisinau that somehow the fact that I didn’t disappointed me massively.

I absolutely adore uncovering hidden gems and raving about them to everyone I meet, inspiring people to visit places that they’d never usually consider, like Albania or Ukraine. 

Visiting Moldova was something else I hoped to inspire people to do, but I can’t sit here and tell you that my vacation in Moldova was full of magic and awe, because it just wasn’t. 

That being said, there are definitely things that I enjoyed about Chisinau and so what I will be doing is painting a portrait of what visiting Chisinau is really like, the best things to do in Chisinau, where to stay in Chisinau and whether or not I believe that Chisinau is worth visiting.

Is Chisinau worth visiting?

Let’s find out.

First impressions of Moldova

Moldova only gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and before that it was a part of Romania. 

Unfortunately, years of Soviet Rule followed by a huge economic crisis (1992 – 2001) resulted in mass amounts of poverty in Moldova, something that became very obvious to me as soon as my bus crossed the border from Ukraine.

As we trundled along the potholed roads, I gazed out of the windows at rural Moldova.

Dotted along the country lanes were ramshackle cottages with overgrown gardens and the odd chicken or malnourished cow wandering around.

Women in long dresses and headscarves picked fruit and carried heavy wicker baskets down the roads and stray dogs barked at our large coach. 

In some ways it was beautiful.

Rolling hills, tiny hamlets and old men with lined faces and weather-beaten skin. Fruit trees and wildflowers. Serenity. 

But then I noticed the peeling paint and broken fences and wooden roofs that had seen better days.

I noticed the isolation of it all and shivered when I realised how cold these dwellings must get in the harsh Eastern winters.

I looked at the faces of the beautiful teenage girls tending to their gardens and felt sad. What opportunities did these girls have in terms of education or careers?

Probably not many.

Girls in Moldova are more likely to become victims of sex trafficking than women from anywhere else in Europe, and when you see the reality of life for many of them, it isn’t difficult to see why.

Why would they not want to take a chance on a glitzy opportunity in Germany or the Netherlands from a sketchy ad in the local paper?

I tried to shake away these thoughts and visit Chisinau with an open mind.

I had booked four nights in Chisinau which I hoped would give me enough time to get a real feel for the capital of Moldova. 

However, my first impressions of Chisinau were not great.

Even the biggest cheerleaders of the city will tell you that Chisinau is not about to win any beauty contests.

The Soviet-Realist architecture is dilapidated and depressing, the air is thick and dusty and everything just feels kind of bleak.

It isn’t Chisinau’s fault that it is ugly. Most of the city was destroyed in the Second World War, and unlike Warsaw in Poland, it hasn’t risen from the ashes like a phoenix. 

If I had to describe how Chisinau looks in a word, it would be forlorn.

So why would anybody visit Chisinau?!

I’m aware that I’ve been very harsh on Chisinau so far, and that isn’t totally fair.

Every city in the world has something to offer, and so does Chisinau.

Here are a few reasons to visit Chisinau, Moldova.

Moldovan wine

First off, the wine in Moldova is FANTASTIC.

Moldovan wine is some of the best in the world, and Moldova has been making its own wine since as far back as 3000 BC!

In fact, wine is the number one economic product of Moldova with Moldova being the second largest wine exporter in the world – not bad for a tiny nation that most people have never even heard of! 

Not only that, but Moldova is also home to the second largest wine cellar in the world, and as luck would have it, it is only 15km from Chisinau!

Cricova Winery has over 120km of underground wine storage and is home to the world’s biggest wine collection of more than 1.3 million bottles.

World leaders including Barrack Obama, Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin keep their own personal wine collections at Cricova, and Cricova Winery was the first ever winery to produce sparkling wine using the exact same method that Dom Perignon himself used!

Whether you’re a wine lover or not, Cricova Winery is definitely one of the biggest Moldova tourist attractions and an absolutely fascinating experience.

I learnt so much about the history of Cricova and Moldovan wine that I would recommend it to anyone visiting Moldova – it makes a great day trip from Chisinau and considering that a tour of the winery plus wine tasting costs only 23 EUR, it’s a bargain too!

Things to do in Chisinau

As far as things to do in Chisinau itself are concerned, it gets a little tricky.

Chisinau is not a city packed full of tourist attractions, and so most of the major Chisinau attractions can be seen in a day.

In fact, you can see pretty much everything on a Free Walking Tour, which is exactly what I did. The tour that I opted for was the Free English Walking Tour with Your Friend in Moldova.

The tours only run around once a week, but if you can attend one while you’re there then I definitely recommend it as it’s always nice to have some context about the things that you are seeing, plus Your Friend in Moldova is a tiny local business so it’s a great thing to support (I always suggest a minimum of a 5 EUR tip at the end of the tour). 

The starting point of the tour is at the Triumphal Arch on Strada Stefan cel Mare.

The Triumphal Arch was built in 1840 and commemorates the victory of the Russian Empire over the Ottoman Empire during the Russo-Turkish War (1828 – 1829). It is one of the main things to see in Chisinau.

Fun fact – Aeroflot Premium actually made a list of the most beautiful Triumphal Arches in the world and this one nabbed the number 5 spot, beating the Arches in Budapest and Barcelona! Moldovan people are really proud of that! 

Just behind the Triumphal Arch is the Central Park which is the oldest park in Chisinau and is where you will find lots of statues of the most significant Moldovan writers, as well as one of the first ever statues of Alexander Pushkin, another famous writer.

Also here is the Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity, an Orthodox cathedral that is pretty plain on the outside but has an interior full of glittering gold and is definitely worth a quick look. 

Also on Stefan cel Mare you will find a handful of other ‘things to do in Chisinau’ (which are really just buildings to look at for a few minutes and then continue on).

These buildings include the National Opera, Ballet Theatre, Parliament and the Government National Palace. 

When we were there it was quite exciting – not only was there some important government thing going on at parliament with lots of important people outside, but there was also a dinosaur roaming around the street.

Yes – there are dinosaurs in Moldova!

As we wandered around the centre of Chisinau we found lots of stalls selling old Soviet memorabilia including pins, medals, coins and a load of other weird and wonderful souvenirs which our tour guide told us were actually legit, if not overpriced. 

The city centre markets are definitely one of the main things to do in Chisinau, so be sure to have a browse and pick up a souvenir or two while you’re there.

Only one of the main Chisinau attractions was not included on our walking tour, and this was the Chisinau Water Tower, which my friends and I visited later in the day.

The Chisinau Water Tower doubles as the Museum of the City of Chisinau, which was founded in 1979, while the tower dates back to 1892.

For a small fee, you are able to enter the tower and explore the various floors, as well as going up to the observation deck at the top for panoramic views over Chisinau.

Honestly, the museum kinda sucks.

No. Scratch that.

The museum really sucks. There is just a bunch of old documents and random artefacts (books, clothes, newspaper clippings etc.) with no explanations as to why they are there – not even in Moldovan!

The view from the top is also nothing special, partly because the tower is only 22 metres high, and partly because Chisinau is just not an attractive city.

That said, it’s worth going to the Chisinau Water Tower purely because there are so few things to do in Chisinau as a tourist that every little helps.

While there is not much else in the way of Chisinau attractions, Chisinau is home to a lot of parks which are a great place to relax and enjoy the sun.

I frequently went to Valea Morilor to read my book by Komsomolsky Lake.

This park is not only home to natural springs, but in 2009, Moldovan archaeologists found remains of a mammoth skeleton at the bottom of the lake!

Other nice parks to visit in Chisinau include the Public Park of Stefan cel Mare (or just ‘Central Park’) which I mentioned earlier, the Botanical Garden where you can feed the ducks and see Japanese sakura blossoming, and the Valea Trandafirilor park which is home to three beautiful lakes.

Transnistria – The country that doesn’t exist

Another reason why people visit Moldova is to base themselves in Chisinau and visit Transnistria as a day trip. 

Visiting Transnistria was one of my all time travel highlights, and it is something that I would recommend to anyone with even the slightest interest in history. 

Transnistria is a self-professed independent state that broke away from Moldova after the dissolution of the USSR.

However, despite having its own government, parliament, currency, flag, military, police, postal system, national anthem and coat of arms, only three other ‘states’ recognise it, and none of these states have been recognised themselves!

To the rest of the world, Transnistria is a part of Moldova, and there is still tension between the two (although Russian peacekeepers prevent any civil unrest). 

My friend and I paid for a private tour of Transnistria and our guide showed us around the capital city of Tiraspol, as well as Bender.

We learnt that Transnistria really bloody loves Russia, that it misses the days of the Soviet Union, and that Transnistrians really like Lenin statues. 

For anybody wanting to get truly off the beaten path in Europe, Transnistria is about as far from the tourist trail as you can get.

The ugly side of Chisinau

There’s no sugar coating it – there are plenty of bad things about Moldova.

Moldova is poor, it is unhappy, and it is the second most alcohol-dependent country in the world (losing only to Belarus). 

Chisinau is a grey and dilapidated city that most Moldovans are trying to get out of.

This is the reason why so many girls from Moldova respond to the flyers that are stuck to abandoned buildings, desperate for the opportunity to work abroad and create a life for themselves, before finding that they have become victims of human trafficking. 

Moldova is one of the worst countries in Europe for human trafficking, with over 400,000 Moldovan women being trafficked from the country since 1991. The vast majority of these women have been trafficked into the sex trade. 

What’s more, Moldova is quickly becoming a destination for child sex tourism.

Children from as young as 13 can be found working in brothels, massage parlours and saunas in Chisinau, forced to service men from the EU, Australia, the USA and more.

Moldova also has problems with drugs and arms trafficking, and corruption is a huge issue as well. 

I don’t say this to scaremonger and dissuade you from visiting Chisinau or Moldova as a whole. 

Organised crime very rarely affects tourists. 

You are at no more risk of being sold into sex slavery in Moldova than you are in the UK and you will likely not be the victim of a violent crime in Moldova.

The biggest risk to you if you visit Chisinau is petty theft, and even then, you are far more likely to be robbed in Paris or Barcelona than you are in Chisinau.

Chisinau is a safe city for tourists. 

The reason why I point out the negative side to Chisinau is that I really feel for the people of Moldova, and it is only by raising awareness of human rights abuses that we ever see changes.

Is Chisinau worth visiting?

It isn’t that I actively disliked Chisinau.

It’s more that I found an absence of things to love.

Does that make sense?

I didn’t find a thriving coffee culture like I did in Albania, I didn’t find row upon row of dive bars or eurotrash discos.

I didn’t find a whole load of interesting Soviet architecture (but plenty of the dull stuff).

I didn’t find controversial street art, beautiful cobbled streets or old Ottoman bazaars. 

While I very much enjoyed the cheap wine and my trips to Cricova and Transnistria, there wasn’t much in Chisinau itself to warrant visiting without making it part of a larger trip. 

If you are already travelling through Eastern Europe then you should definitely stick a visit to Chisinau on your itinerary.

You will learn a lot about a place that so few people know about, and failing that, you can just find a fancy wine bar and drink gallons of cheap Moldovan wine.

I would not recommend visiting Chisinau if you have limited time and are trying to choose a single destination for a city break.

There are many off the beaten path cities in Europe that have more to offer (in my opinion) than Chisinau, and I would not dedicate your only vacation time to Moldova’s capital. 

For somewhere similar but with more to do, I recommend visiting Pristina, Kosovo.

I would also not recommend visiting Moldova in general if you are not an experienced traveller.

While Chisinau is certainly a safe place for tourists, tourist infrastructure in Moldova is practically non-existent (think unreliable public transport and dodgy roads) and the backpacker scene is in its infancy, with the vast majority of people not speaking any English. 

While that is great for more experienced travellers, those just starting out might want to choose a more developed country that is more used to tourism.

Hostels and hotels in Chisinau

If you do decide to visit Chisinau, you can definitely treat yourself to a fancy hotel.

Moldova is such a cheap country that your money will stretch a lot further here.

I personally went shoestring and stayed in a hostel when I was in Chisinau, but if you can afford to I definitely recommend splurging a little and choosing a hotel.

Here are my picks, organised by budget.

Shoestring accommodation in Chisinau – $

When I visited Chisinau, I stayed at the Amazing Ionika Hostel, named after the owner’s young daughter (aww!).

It was pretty basic, but the staff were really welcoming and there was a cosy common area which made it easy to meet other travellers. The location was also great.

Best of all, it was cheap.

If you’re a backpacker looking for a hostel in Chisinau, this would be the one I’d pick.

Mid-range hotels in Chisinau – $$

Glass Cube Hotel

The Glass Cube Hotel is super affordable (32 EUR for a deluxe double room at the time of writing) and its location is unbeatable, just a few steps from all of the main things to see in Moldova.

Its rooms are minimalist and modern (think whites and greys and floor to ceiling windows), and all of them have a flat screen TV, desk and air-conditioning.

Best of all, there’s a 24-hour reception and free parking for all guests.

Lotus Hotel Chisinau

Lotus Hotel Chisinau is a 4 star hotel with incredible rates (34 EUR for a deluxe double room at the time of writing).

Included in the room price is: a desk, a kettle, a fridge, a minibar, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV, hairdryer, bath robe, concierge service, room service, slippers, a wake-up service and everything else that comes with a 4 star hotel.

The rooms are spacious and modern, and you can add a continental/buffet breakfast for 7 EUR.

Premier City Hotel Chisinau

The first thing you should know about Premier City Hotel is that it is an absolutely beautiful building.

Seriously. I used to walk past it when I was in Chisinau and just wish I was staying there.

Located in a quiet area that is just 10 minutes by foot to the heart of the action (hello, best of both worlds!), and it is actually an aparthotel, meaning that you have the luxury of a hotel with the facilities of an apartment!

The rooms are stunning and you also get a fridge, stovetop and microwave, giving you the freedom to cook your own food if you are so inclined.

You can even opt to have your very own suite with a terrace for just 41 EUR (at the time of writing!).

Luxury hotels in Chisinau – $$$

Nobil Luxury Boutique Hotel

Of course, one of the great things about visiting Chisinau is that you can afford far more than you perhaps would in your home country.

This 5 star spa boutique hotel is simply incredible and at the time of writing, a room for 2 including breakfast is just 120 EUR!

Onsite is a spa offering Oriental massages and Turkish steam baths, a beauty salon, panoramic fine dining restaurant on the 7th floor, and a fitness centre for all your workout needs.

The interiors are the epitome of luxury, with crystal chandeliers, marble floors, plush carpets and plenty of rich mahogany.

If you want to feel like a King (or Queen!) when visiting Moldova, Nobil Luxury Boutique Hotel is the one for you.

Savoy

More 5 star luxury comes with Savoy, a hotel which boasts ‘celebrity treatment with world-class service,’ according to Booking.com.

Its spacious, romantic rooms are luxuriously decorated with rich fabrics, solid wood furniture and antique-style paintings, giving it a really old money kind of feel.

This is the kind of hotel that lets you pretend you’re the star of a period drama.

A double room was 101 EUR at the time of writing, with an optional breakfast for 11 EUR.

Radisson Blu Leogrand Hotel

Everyone knows that the Radisson Blu hotels are excellent, and this 5 star establishment is no different.

Something that makes this choice stand out from the others I’ve recommended is the fact that there are 3 restaurants to choose from – one serving international and European cuisine, one serving Asian cuisine that also has live music, and a New York restaurant which is open 24 hours.

The rooms are stylish and sleek with wooden floors, splashes of rich colour and tonnes of space – want a dining table that seats 10 people? You got it!

A standard double room at the time of writing was 137 EUR.

Things to know before visiting Moldova

Here are some of the basic things you should know before planning a trip to Moldova.

Where is Moldova?

Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe which is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the North, East and South. 

Getting to Moldova

If you want to enter Moldova by plane, then Bucharest, Istanbul, Kyiv, Munich and Moscow are among the cheapest places to fly from.

Wizz Air offers flights from Milan, Bologna, Venice, Rome and London.

Flying into Moldova from other destinations can be very expensive. If you’re planning a trip to Chininau and need an airport transfer, I recommend using i’way.

If you want to enter Moldova by train then you can take an overnight connection from Ukraine or Romania. I took the overnight train from Chisinau to Bucharest and it was quite the experience – at the border the train is actually manually lifted onto a whole new set of wheels, and the process takes forever!

You can also take the bus to Chisinau from Romania (Bucharest and Brasov) and Ukraine (Odessa). My go-to bus travel in Europe is always FlixBus. Flixbus is the most extensive bus network worldwide and all Flix buses have Wi-Fi, extra legroom, charging ports and the ability to modify your booking just 15 minutes before departure!

General tips for visiting Moldova

The best time to visit Moldova is undoubtedly in the summer. This is when the weather is at its best and festivals and camping are all in full swing. Unlike other European capitals, Chisinau sees so few tourists that you will not encounter the vast crowds that you would elsewhere.

The language in Moldova is Moldovan, which is identical to Romanian. Some Moldovans refer to their language as Moldovan in order to emphasise the country’s independent status, and some refer to it as Romanian. 

The currency in Moldova is the Moldovan Leu (MDL). 1 MDL is the equivalent of 0.051 EUR.

Moldova is not in the EU or the Schengen Area.

If you visit Transnistria, you will not be able to reach your embassy and receive consular help. If you get into trouble in Transnistria, it will be extremely difficult for your home country to assist you, and Moldova will not be able to either.

Useful taxi apps for Moldova are Yandex and iTaxi. They are similar to Uber.

If you are a single man travelling in Chisinau and looking to meet Moldovan girls, you should beware of the ‘bar girl scam.’ This is when an attractive Moldovan girl will ask you for directions or strike up conversation in the street before suggesting that you go for a drink somewhere. She will lead you to a bar and proceed to flirt with you and enjoy some drinks, before ‘disappearing’ to the ‘toilet’ and leaving you with a bill equating to hundreds of euros. This is a very common tourist scam in Moldova and other Eastern European countries (Read my post about the Krakow strip club scams for information on similar scams!).

Chisinau is cheap. Moldova is one of the cheapest countries in Europe, and your money will go far here.

Beware of ATM scams in Moldova. To be on the safe side, I suggest always withdrawing money from inside a bank and never from an ATM on the street.

Is Chisniau Worth Visiting? | Final Thoughts

So, what do you think?

Do you think that Chisinau is worth a visit, or are you going to skip it in favour of somewhere else?

Do let me know in the comments section, and also be sure to let me know if you disagree with me – if you fell in love with Chisinau then I would love to know more!

xoxo

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