Moldova

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.