mahl·DAY·vuh - /mɒlˈdeɪv/
After Moldova River & valley (German: Moldau) - the political center of the ancient Principality of Moldavia + Greek suffix ia/a = land of 🔍; Târgul Moldovei (market of Moldavia, modern-day Baia) was the original capitol.
Legend says the 14c Prince Dragoș named the river after his hunting hound, Molda, who chased a wild ox into it and tragically drowned. Others tie it to Gothic roots from the words for dust, dirt, or mud & Old German words for open pit mining.
For a time in the 1990s, Moldova was spelled Moldavia (like the former Principality) but after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country began to use the Romanian version, Moldova.
One of the least visited countries in the world, Moldova offers a rich culture with Soviet-era architecture, ancient monasteries, and renowned wine regions all at affordable pricing.
@ a glance essentials:
.
Language:
Romanian
-
Moldovan Lieu
Water safety
Generally Safe to Drink in tourist areas, (may have an off taste.) Go Bottled when Remote.
Some Locals can speak English, but it's not common.
Currency:
MDL
Local Transport
There is a bus network in large cities but it's a but slow. Smaller towns will require a car.
Look out for photo restrictions in Transnistria, (particularly in Tiraspol.) Never take photos of military installations or official buildings – you will be rebuked by police, (and maybe even fined.)
Hot Tip:
In the Bronze Age the region that would become Moldova was inhabited by an Indo-European tribe the Thracians who later formed the wider Dacian Kingdom🔍, in the 1c BC. When the Romans conquered the area in the 1 & 2c. AD Dacia became a province of the Roman Empire, with a new Daco-Roman culture becoming the ancestors of the Moldovans (& Romanians.)
The territory was continuously invaded by Scythians, Goths, Huns and Slavs etc. with three autonomous feudal states🔍 emerging in the region starting in the 13c - Wallachia, Transylvania, (under the control of Hungary) and the 🔎Principality of Moldavia in the 1350s.
a bit of background...
........................... Moldovans (& Romanians) may be the last true descendants of the Roman Empire. When the Western portion fell the Eastern, Byzantine Empire continued for another 1000 years, and the language still spoken in Romania & Moldova, with it's strong Latin roots, is distinct among the other primarily Slavic Balkan languages. (Because of their unique Roman cultural ties there is even a movement, to this day, to reunite Moldova & Romania as one country.)
FUN FACT:
The Principality became a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire from 1538 until 1812, when the eastern🔍 portion was ceded to the Russian Empire becoming Bessarabia. In 1856, southern Bessarabia was reunited with western Moldavia and both united with Wallachia to found Romania in 1859, but Russian rule was restored over the Moldavia region in 1878.
In 1918, Bessarabia briefly became independent as the Moldavian Democratic Republic then reunited with the rest of Romania. This was however disputed by Soviet Russia, who in 1924 established a Moldavian Autonomous Republic🔍 in partially Russian-inhabited territories east of Bessarabia, (within the Ukrainian SSR) and in 1940 Romania was compelled to cede all Moldavian territory to the Soviets as the Moldavian SSR.
In 1991, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Moldavians declared independence as Moldova. The eastern strip (formerly Bessarabia) however, was under the de-facto control of a unrecognized breakaway government of Transnistria, which has maintained semi-independence. With the adoption of a constitution in 1994 Moldova officially became the modern Republic of Moldova.
Must Try Local Cuisine:
Sarmale - cabbage rolls stuffed w/ spiced meat ∞ Cozonac - sweet bread w/ cocoa, poppy seed or nuts
Chiftele cu Piure - pork meatballs in tomato sauce w/ mashed potatoes ∞ Mămăligă - cornmeal porridge bread loaf
Salată de Boeuf - beef salad w/ Murături - pickled veg
Colțunași cu Brânză (hard-working dumplings) - cheese dumplings served w/ sour cream
Plăcinte - Moldovan pies, savory,(potato, cabbage or cottage cheese) & sweet (pumpkin, cherry or apple)
Cușma lui Guguțㆠ- crepes rolled into tubes & stacking into a pyramid, layered w/ whipped cream & sour cherries
Prune Umplute cu Nuc - prunes, soaked in cognac syrup or red wine & filled w/ walnuts
➿➰➿
† Meaning "Gugutsa’s Hat" inspired by Moldovan folktale character Gugutsa who wears a pyramid shaped hat
I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit
Moldova
(but it's on the list!) - So I don't have any personal
(If you get there first send me your best finds !)
recommendations yet, but you can start with the most popular spots
below, and I'll update with my favorites, hopefully soon!
Most Known For:
♦️ Chişinău - with 19c Nativity of Christ Cathedral🔍 & bell tower, a small version of
the Arc de Triomphe @ the entrance to the Parcul Catedralei. additional parks like the
Grădina Publică Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfînt and many museums.
🔸 The Orheiul Vechi’s 13c limestone cliff cave monastery - carved by Orthodox monks high
above the Răut River, south of Orhei,
♦️ Vast underground wine 🍷 cellars like Mileștii Mici with 120 miles of tunnels and in-cave
restaurant or Cricova, (shorter but more charming (and some say better wine) - two of
the world’s largest wine cellars
🔸 Transnistria - a semi-autonomous region (locally Pridnestrovie) a fossilized piece of the former Soviet Union
-NOTABLE PEOPLE:
🌀 International Museum Day & Night of Museums (May) - museums host readings, tastings,
theatrical performances, etc. (free from 12:00 to 22:00)
🌀 Wine 🍷 Festivals like National Wine Day (October) - in Chisinau the most popular festival of Moldova
Wine & Gastronomy Theatre Festival & ExpoVin Moldova (February)
🌀 Velo Hora (September)- A 20 km bike ride festival in Chisinau that marks World Car Free Day.
🌀 Moldova Classical 🪂 Parachuting Cup (September) - skydiving competition. To pay the entry fee
participants can choose to make a tandem jumps with professional skydivers.
🌀 Chisinau City Day aka Hramul Chisinaului. (October) - Commemorating The Intercession of
Holy Virgin, open air festival with spectacular fireworks
🌀 Cultural Festivals like Duminica Mare or National Touristic Festival of Traditions with activities like
wood carving and mandatory traditional hora dancing, Bostaniada (Pumpkin) Festival (October) or
International 🏺 Pottery Fair (July)
Site Key:
Five Star Recommend
Make the Time!
Worth the Effort/ $
Planning a Trip?
Make a DONATION of $5 or more and receive a FREE Thank You Gift of a FULL CITY TRAVEL GUIDE with even more favorites and the address/ contacts for all recommendations. Just include your EMAIL ADDRESS in the transaction description of your donation along with the name of the city you're visiting.
UNMOORED DETAILS DESTINATIONS PLAN YOUR TRIP ON A BUDGET TRAVEL BLOG
YOUR HOST- JULIA EUROPE PLANNING, PACKING & PASSPORTS HISTORY & CULTURE
SPECIAL THANKS AFRICA & MID EAST BOOK TRANSPORTATION MYTHS, LORE & LEGENDS
PRIVACY & TERMS OF USE ASIA & OCEANIA SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS FRIENDS & ADVENTURES
CONTACT THE AMERICAS TRAVEL INSURANCE LOCAL FESTIVALS
Notices: Unmoored is not a licensed travel agency. The Site's intended to educate, inform & entertain and is not to be used as a source of official travel itinerary planning, or legal advice. It is merely the experiences and reflections of fellow traveler. - The site may contain affiliated links, (there is never any extra cost to you for using these links) but Unmoored only includes affiliated links for products/ companies that we would willing endorse on the site even without the affiliation.