When you think of Europe, chances are it’s Paris and its iconic Eiffel Tower that pop to mind, or perhaps London and the iconic red telephone boxes, or perhaps, if you’ve taken a liking for going off the beaten path a little, Croatia and its postcard-ready pebbly beaches straddling the Adriatic.
That’s the Old Continent for beginners.
Now, if you’re fascinated by the other side of the moon, where Haussmann boulevards give way to imposing communist-era concrete giants, and it’s not a glossy Eurostar that will get you where you need to be, but a 1990s marshrutka, the little-known Moldova is all the riotous fun you’ve been craving.
You’d better get there quickly, though: it may have been infamously considered Europe’s least-visited country at one point, but it’s now one of its fastest-growing destinations.
Moldova Is Europe’s 3rd Fastest-Rising Destination Right Now
According to the World Tourism Organization, Moldova is now the third-best-performing European country in tourism. To be more precise, during the first half of 2025, it saw a whopping 62 percent increase in the number of international visitors compared to 2019.
It officially surpasses far more well-established destinations in the continent, most notably the Mediterranean nation of Malta, which ranks just beneath it at number 4, with a 49% rise in visitors since the pre-pandemic era, and Greece, at number 10, with an even more modest 24% increase.
Only Uzbekistan, which is variously described as partially-European and Central Asian, and Albania chart higher than Moldova, with upticks of 73% and 122%, respectively.
Contrary to some of these competitors, however, Moldova has no beaches; it’s not particularly known for permanently snow-capped highlands that would draw winter sports enthusiasts; and it’s not exactly the easiest place to fly into—especially if you’re coming all the way from America.
So what’s the big deal here?
What Have Been Tourists Sleeping On All Along?
As we briefly touched on, Moldova’s main appeal is its off-the-beaten-path, rough-around-the-edges character.
It is distinguished for being one of Europe’s least visited countries, but that’s largely thanks to suboptimal promotion rather than any inherent qualities.
From the wetlands and rolling vineyards of Southern Moldova, to the capital city of Chișinău, with its thriving social scene, modernist architecture, and lush urban parks, to the underrated North, home to the fairytale castle town of Soroca, it is a boundless treasure trove begging to be unearthed.
The best part? It’s oddly quiet still. Despite the big rise in visitors, Moldova had only about 400,000 guests sojourn in Moldovan hotels and guesthouses this year, 212,200 of which were foreigners.
Whether you’re strolling Ștefan cel Mare Park in the capital, with its tree-lined alleys and fountain-dominated squares, or exploring infinite tunnels stacked from floor to ceiling with wine bottles, extending for a whopping 125 miles in the world’s largest wine cellar, big crowds are not a concern here.
Who Would Have Thought Moldova Would Be So Affordable?
Speaking of the world’s largest wine cellar, that’s Mileștii Mici for you, a short 27-minute drive outside Chișinău. Wine tastings and tours start from around $90, and it’s a must-do for oenophiles.
Moldova is a bitterly cold country to visit in winter if you’re feeling the pull right now, so bear in mind visiting these historic, Soviet-era wine cellars—Mileștii Mici is one of several scattered around the country—is truly your best bet at keeping warm (and that’s no small potatoes).
Now that we brought up potatoes, it’s probably a good time to mention that Moldova’s potato-heavy food can be sampled for as cheap as your mildly generous restaurant tip back home.
A flavorful mix of Romanian and Russian culinary traditions, it includes hearty chicken soups with lots of dill (zeamă), the undisputably Balkan mămăligă (their version of polenta, usually served with cheese and sour cream), and, of course, plenty of roasted pork and lamb.
On average, a meal at an inexpensive restaurant in the Moldovan capital will set you back by $8.77, or the equivalent in Moldovan leu (the local currency).
If you’re planning to splurge a little, taking into account this is one of Europe’s most budget-friendly destinations.
So… On The Transnistria ‘Issue’
Then of course, there’s Transnistria, or how TikTokers love to call it, ‘The Country That Doesn’t Exist‘.
It does exist, de facto, except it’s not recognized by any UN member state. We guess they’re North Cyprus’s spiritual sibling.
To the rest of the world, they’re simply a breakaway province of Moldova currently under Russian occupation, though within the boundaries of Transnistria, they hold their own elections (sort of), have their own currency, and even issue their own passports (though we doubt these are of any use outside Transnistria or Russia).
The self-proclaimed capital, Tiraspol is one of the last surviving Soviet microcosms, with Lenin statues galore, grand boulevards flanked by Stalinist edifices, and urban infrastructure that’s essentially frozen in time, back in the (arguably) glorious days of the USSR.
There is a hard border in place, with passport checks and all, but you can easily visit Transnistria from Chișinău, though the U.S. Government doesn’t advise it. It’s all but an extension of Russia, remember?
If you do decide to go—and we must add most foreigners, including Americans, face no issues—you’re on your own. Should things go awry at the border, or you find yourself in trouble by crossing an invisible line into a no-go zone in Tiraspol, you’re on your own.
How To Get To Moldova
The easiest way to get to Moldova is by flying, usually into Eugen Doga International Airport (RMO), which serves the capital city.
It’s a focus hub for many European low-cost carriers, like FlyOne, HiSky, and WizzAir, so you know the drill at this point: no Transatlantic flights don’t mean you can’t get there hassle-free, it just means you’ll need to add a little stopover first in a mainline European airport.
If you’re coming straight from America, some options are Frankfurt (FRA), Vienna (VIE), Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), and, more recently, Bucharest-Otopeni (OTP), in neighboring Romania, which started hosting U.S. flights as of this year.
Wanna keep the Soviet vibes going? You may alternatively hop on an overnight train from Bucharest to Chișinău, in a communist-era train that’s hardly seen any major upgrades in the past 20 years. It’s not the most comfortable of journeys, but as the kids say it these days, you can ‘do it for plot’.
Subscribe To Our Latest Posts
Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Path’s latest breaking travel news, straight to your inbox.
