Eastern Europe · Europe

Moldova

Discover Moldova - Europe's least-visited country with the world's largest wine cellar, a breakaway republic, and a culture shaped by Romanian and Soviet influences.

Where Is Moldova?

Moldova is a country in Eastern Europe. Its capital is Chișinău.

Where Moldova isEastern Europe · Capital Chișinău

Capital Chișinău
Population 2.36M
Area 33,847 km²

Moldova is Europe's least-visited country, and that's both its challenge and its charm. Wedged between Romania and Ukraine, this small landlocked nation doesn't have mountains, coastline, or famous landmarks to draw tourists. What it does have is wine - an almost absurd amount of wine. Moldova has the highest density of vineyards per capita in the world, and the Milestii Mici wine cellar holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of wine at over 2 million bottles. The tunnels go on for 200 kilometers.

The country was part of Romania until 1940 when the Soviets annexed it, and that dual identity still defines Moldova. The language is essentially Romanian written in Latin script (after decades of forced Cyrillic), the food is a mix of Romanian and Russian influences, and there's an actual breakaway republic called Transnistria on the eastern border that still uses the hammer and sickle on its flag and currency. Chisinau, the capital, has a post-Soviet charm with tree-lined boulevards and surprisingly good restaurants. Moldova is poor by European standards but genuinely welcoming, and the wine tourism is only going to get bigger.

At a glance

Language

Romanian (Moldovan)

Currency

Moldovan Leu (MDL)

Calling Code

+373

Drives On

Right

Internet

.md

Timezone

EET (UTC+2)

Script

Latin

Government

Parliamentary Republic

Independence

1991

By population

Largest cities in Moldova

Chisinau

The capital, a city of wide Soviet-era boulevards lined with trees, parks, and an emerging food and wine scene

700,000

Balti

Moldova's second city in the north, an industrial center with a growing university presence

97,000

Tiraspol

Capital of the breakaway Transnistria region, a surreal Soviet time capsule with Lenin statues and its own currency

129,000

Orhei

Small town known for the Old Orhei archaeological complex, with cave monasteries carved into limestone cliffs

25,000

Comrat

Capital of the autonomous Gagauzia region, home to the Gagauz, a Turkic-speaking Orthodox Christian people

23,000

People

Famous people from Moldova

Eugen Doga
Music
Moldova's most famous composer, his waltz from the film My Sweet and Tender Beast was voted one of the best film scores of the 20th century
Mihai Eminescu
Literature
Romania and Moldova's national poet, whose Romantic poetry is foundational to the Romanian language
Dan Balan
Music
Founded the group O-Zone whose Dragostea Din Tei (Numa Numa) became a viral internet phenomenon
Radu Albot
Sport
First Moldovan tennis player to win an ATP title, reaching a career-high ranking of 39
Dmitri Cantemir
Literature
18th-century Prince of Moldavia, polymath scholar who wrote the first systematic description of Ottoman music

Food

Traditional cuisine of Moldova

Mamaliga: Cornmeal porridge served with cheese, sour cream, and meat, Moldova's version of polenta and a daily staple
Placinta: Thin pastry filled with cheese, potatoes, cabbage, or pumpkin, baked or fried and sold everywhere
Sarmale: Cabbage or vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat, slow-cooked with tomato sauce, a celebration staple
Zeama: Sour chicken soup with noodles and vegetables, considered the ultimate hangover cure and comfort food
Branza: Fresh white cheese made from sheep or cow milk, crumbled over salads or eaten with mamaliga
Moldovan Wine: Moldova has more vineyard per capita than any country in the world, producing excellent reds and sweet wines

Nature

Nature and landmarks in Moldova

Old OrheiLandmark: Stunning archaeological complex with cave monasteries carved into limestone cliffs above the Raut River
Milestii MiciLandmark: The world's largest wine cellar with over 2 million bottles in 200 km of underground limestone tunnels
Codrii Nature ReserveForest: Moldova's main forest reserve, protecting ancient oak and hornbeam woods in the center of the country
Saharna MonasteryLandmark: Cliff-side monastery with a waterfall and Holy Footprint cave, one of Moldova's most important pilgrimage sites
Dniester RiverRiver: Moldova's eastern border river, flowing through dramatic limestone gorges and past cliff-top monasteries

Sport

Sports in Moldova

Football: FC Sheriff Tiraspol from Transnistria famously beat Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage in 2021
Wrestling: Moldova has won Olympic medals in Greco-Roman wrestling, one of the country's strongest sports
Weightlifting: Moldovan weightlifters have competed at multiple Olympics, a popular strength sport
Boxing: Growing boxing scene with several competitive fighters at European level

Facts

Did you know?

Moldova has the world's largest wine cellar - Milestii Mici holds over 2 million bottles in 200 km of tunnels
Transnistria, a breakaway region with its own government and currency, still uses the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol
O-Zone's Dragostea Din Tei (the Numa Numa song) is Moldova's most famous cultural export
Moldova has the highest density of vineyards per capita in the world
Wine Day is an official national holiday celebrated in early October with festivals across the country
The Gagauz people of southern Moldova are Turkic-speaking Orthodox Christians, a unique cultural group