Moldova
Loran - Rent a car Moldova: Loran - Rent a car Moldova. 15% discount. Exclusively new cars. Full casco. Unlimited mileage.
Moldova [1] is a small land-locked country in Eastern Europe, north of Balkans, surrounded by Romania to the southwest, across the Prut river, and Ukraine to the northeast.
The capital of Moldova is Chişinău. The local language is Romanian, based on the Latin alphabet, but Russian is widely used. Moldova is a multiethnic republic that has suffered from violent ethnic conflict. In 1994, this conflict led to the creation of the self-proclaimed Transnistria Republic in eastern Moldova, which has its own government and currency but is not recognized by any other country. Economic links have been re-established between these two parts of Moldova despite failure in political negotiations. The major religion in Moldova is Orthodox Christian.
Moldova's population is occupied mainly in food production and processing. Once known as "the garden" of the Soviet Union, Moldova has now lost most of its traditional Russian markets for agricultural products and is exploring new international markets.
Regions
It is divided into 32 Rayons: 1. Anenii Noi 2. Basarabeasca 3. Briceni 4. Cahul 5. Cantemir 6. Călăraşi 7. Căuşeni 8. Cimişlia 9. Criuleni 10. Donduşeni 11. Drochia 12. Dubăsari 13. Edineţ 14. Faleşti 15. Floreşti 16. Glodeni 17. Hînceşti 18. Ialoveni 19. Leova 20. Nisporeni 21. Ocniţa 22. Orhei 23. Rezina 24. Rîşcani 25. Sîngerei 26. Soroca 27. Străşeni 28. Şoldăneşti 29. Ştefan Voda 30. Taraclia 31. Teleneşti 32. Ungheni
An autonomous territorial unit (unitate teritoriala autonoma):
- Gagausia (Gagauzia - Gagauz Yeri)
And a territorial unit (unitate teritoriala):
- Transnistria (Stinga Nistrului) - Break-away region east of the Dniester River, on the Ukrainian border, where Russian forces are supporting the Slavic minority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a unrecognized "Transnistria" republic.
Cities
- Chişinău - Capital - An administrative municipality (municipiul). A nice city to go and visit for some days, and to walk around in.
Other destinations
The second biggest city in Moldova, Bălţi, merits a visit as well. Nice pedestrian zone around the central square. Check out the old part of the city.
Understand
Climate
Very cold winters, warm summers.
Terrain
Landlocked. Rolling steppe, gradual slope south towards the Black Sea. Well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone. Natural hazards : Experiences landslides (57 cases in 1998) due to extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods
Elevation extremes : lowest point: Dniester River 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m
History
Formerly part of Romania, Moldova was forcefully incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II.
- Independence - 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
- National holiday - Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
- Constitution - new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979
Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the minority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic.
The poorest nation in Europe, Moldova became the first European (former Soviet) state to elect a communist government and president in 2001.
- Gay Rights - Thanks to the hard labor of a gay rights group called 'Genderdoc' Moldova now has a very liberal law on gay rights. Even though the population in general is not that liberal towards this issue.
Get in
Citizens of US, EU, CIS countries, Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Japan do not need a visa to enter Moldova and can stay in the country for up to 90 days within a six month period without registration. Citizens of other countries must either obtain visa in the nearest Moldovan embassy or alternatively could obtain visa on arrival in Chisinau airport and on some land border crossings provided that officially endorsed invitation letter from Moldova is obtained beforehand.
If, being a motivated person, you are coming into Moldova via Ukraine, be careful about crossing Transnistria. Buses from Odessa go through Tiraspol, and you will absolutely, positively have problems at the Ukraine-Transnistria border. Chances are, you will be pulled off the bus and "asked" to pay an astonishing sum (in Euros) for a "transit visa" through Transnistria. Best advice: play dumb, smile, repeat "student" and hand them 10 euro. And hope that works. For Moldovans, a Transnistria transit visa is under a dollar. Also, there is no Moldovan border check between Transnistria and Moldova, so you might have some explaining to do when you try and leave Moldova without an entrance stamp.
By plane
Busiest air connections exist to Bucharest, Budapest, Istanbul, Moscow, Timisoara and Vienna. Prices are relatively high. The cheapest tickets can be bought to Bucharest, Istanbul, Kiev and Moscow. Moldova has three air companies.
By train
The cheapest way to get into the country is to take the overnight train from Bucharest which is about US$40. Since flights into Bucharest cost approx. US$200 less than those into Moldova, this is the best option if you have the time. At the border crossing the cars are lifted individually onto larger gauge wheels to fit Moldovan tracks.
By car
When coming by car one should be sure to use a border crossing with a (non-stop) visa issuing office. www.Rhinocarhire.com offers cheap car rental in Moldova.
By bus
There are regular buses connecting Chişinău with Bucharest, Kiev and most major Romanian and Ukrainian cities. There are 5 to six buses per day to and from Bucharest. Due to a longer stay at the border the trip takes around 10 hours. You will also be able to travel to most European cities by bus with Moldovan bus companies. When coming by bus one should be sure to use a frontier with a (non-stop) visa issuing office.
By boat
Since Moldova is landlocked, there are no boat routes.
Get around
The most reliable and extensive domestic transport is bus - you will get to most parts of the country.
Talk
The official language of the country is Moldavian ,which is the same as Romanian. Russian is known and spoken fluently by everyone. There is ,however,little chance for one to be understood in other languages, although English has begun to be studied wider in schools.
Buy
Local wine and foreign cigarettes. The wine is of superb quality, but for political reasons, mostly unknown in Western Europe.
Eat
Chisinau is a good place for gourmands. There are a lot of good places to eat all over Chisinau. Cheap, tasty food that is very popular with the locals is served in most places. For better service and more diverse food, there are a lot of small restaurants and cafés. Good restaurants have prices comparable to those elsewhere in Europe. For a quick lunch, fast food and pizza shops are recommended; these can be found at nearly every corner. For groceries, there are small shops all over. Some are even right in front of apartment blocks just a few steps away from the entrances. For harder-to-find items, go to the supermarkets. For fresh fruits and vegetables, markets are a great place to shop. Most of the products are local, but there are a lot of sellers who to sell imported stuff, mostly oranges, bananas and other tropical fruits/vegetables. Meat and meat products are best purchased from supermarkets or shops. The quality is much better than from the market, and the prices aren't much higher.
Drink
Moldova has a long local wines tradition. Especially the reds are popular throughout the country. Most Moldovan villagers grow their own grapes and press their own wine, and many agree the standard rural household will press 3-4,000 litres a year! When returning home, take a bottle with you!
Sleep
4 stars hotels
Budget options include renting a private apartment (talk to the travel agency called Adresa, within a short walk from the main train station). Online reservations are possible (Booking Moldova).
- VisPas
- Jolly Alon
- Leogrand Hotel
- Codru
- Dacia
- Flowers
3 stars hotels
- Vila Verde
- Mini
- Luna
- Mesogios
2 stars hotels
- Turist
- Olimpia
Hostels & Apartments
Various private apartment rentals and several hostels are available.
Learn
There are several museums in downtown Chisinau, Moldova including the museum of Archeology and Ethnography,the museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Work
Stay safe
Security issues should not be underestimated by first time travellers to Moldova. Take into serious consideration the advices regularly published by the U.S. Government State Department at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_972.html Moldova Country Specific Information. Traveller's to Moldova for bussiness or romance should be aware of the potential risk of scam, above all if first contacts were made on Internet. For more information, read http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/financial_scams/financial_scams_3155.html International Financial Scams and http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_2088.html Russian Internet dating schemes.
The break-away region Transnistria has proclaimed itself a republic but lacks diplomatic recognition. Consequently, travellers lack consular support in case of emergency. Stay away until further notice. Corrupt policemen will make you trouble if you show up at the border without 'visa' for this mafia-run place. When travelling from Odessa to Chişinău, avoid Transnistria.
If you do visit Transnistria, as a foreign citizen you should register with the Militia upon arrival. It can become difficult trying to leave if you have not done this. Give your name to the representative of your country in Chisinau and tell them what date you travel to and from Transnistria.
If you persist and do travel to Transnistria you will travel right into the age and time of the old Soviet Union. However it is wise to get a RELIABLE guide to show you around. Once you are 'in' you'll find the population most friendly and helpful. Especially in remote areas where no stranger has been for ages, they will open up a museum for you even if it is their day off. And you can expect a lengthly meal to be offered to you just in your honor. Don't drink too much alcohol at such occasions. They will offer you more than you can handle.
Stay healthy
The heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater. If you are concerned, water for drinking, cooking and oral hygiene should be taken from a known safe source, as ordinary water treatment, including boiling, does not remove such chemical contamination.
Respect
Women. Chivalry is utmost in Moldova, just like in other ex-Soviet countries. If you are out in public, open doors for women and let them walk in first. Do not make disparaging comments about women in Moldova-- or you may find yourself in a heap of trouble with the locals.
Contact
This page was last edited at 20:13, on 5 March 2009 by Wikitravel user Ypsilon. Based on work by Jolanta Wojtaszek-Rintala, Sergey Kudryavtsev and Nicky Rintala, Wikitravel user(s) Vidimian, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.