Lonely Planet Destination Editor for Central & Eastern Europe Sandie Kestell recently traveled to Moldova and Transnistria. Here, she shares some tips and insights for anyone planning a similar trip.
When I told people I was planning a trip to Moldova, responses were mixed, ranging from “Amazing!” to “Why?”, right through to “Where is that?”. This little country between Romania and Ukraine might not be on many travelers’ radars, but once it made its way onto mine, I couldn’t shake it.
My sister and I like to get off the beaten track and we share an interest in the history and architecture of the former Soviet Union. A friend of hers had toured Moldova and the unrecognized republic of Transnistria over New Year with Young Pioneer Tours (YPT) and returned with stories and photos we couldn’t get enough of. We booked onto the YPT Transnistria National Day & Gagauzia Tour right away, adding some extra time in Chişinău to explore the city on our own.
Where did you stay? What was the vibe?
Touring around brought us to several different hotels, but one stands out: Hotel Chişinău. This Soviet-style behemoth is an impressive building with a grand entrance and great character. Rooms are very basic and yes, a little shabby in places, but staying here is more about traveling back in time to the Soviet era than living in the lap of luxury, so it fits right in with the focus of our YPT tour. [And there is hot water, you just need to run the taps a little longer than you normally would…]
If this doesn’t sound like your thing, I recommend the more modern Bristol Central Park Hotel, where we spent our first night in Chişinău before joining our YPT group. The location right in the city center is excellent, and rooms are spacious with all mod cons.
What was the most under-the-radar activity you enjoyed?
We spent a lot of our time in Chişinău seeking out relics from bygone times and oddities.
We headed to leafy Valea Morilor Park to seek out the tiny Little Prince Statue and the even tinier Little Prince’s Rose – two moments of whimsy along the railing by the lake.
Mosaics from the Communist era are few and far between, but we did find some including one small one on Strada Tighina and another much larger one on Strada Vasile Lupu. Our biggest finds were not hidden, but forgotten.
The gigantic Chişinău State Circus in the city center has been abandoned since 2004 and sits as a reminder of a time long past. Despite the decay, the building itself is fascinating. We were especially taken with the dancing clown emblem above the former entrance, with the one headless clown giving the structure a haunting edge. We also got to explore the abandoned National Hotel across the road from Hotel Chişinău from the inside. Our YPT guide Ravi took us into the Soviet-era hotel, now in an advanced state of decay, and up to the roof for sundown drinks with a stunning view over the city.
Favorite activity from the trip?
On crossing the border into the lesser-visited breakaway republic of Transnistria (known locally as Pridnestrovie), we arrived in Bendery and met excellent local guides Maria and Dmitri from GoTransnistria. We set off on a walking tour with our expert guide Maria to learn about the city’s history and people and enjoy the Soviet-era architecture, including several decorated with mosaics.
Bendery’s streets are wide, clean and tree-lined and the city has an all-round cool vibe. One of the most interesting stops was the striking railway station, which is not currently in use and something of a grand ghost station. Beside it is the Museum Complex of the Glory of Railway Workers in a decommissioned Soviet locomotive and a memorial to the glory of railway workers. Maria also took us to the distinctive Gorky Cinema building and with its equally glorious interior – this is by far the fanciest cinema I’ve ever seen. We paused at the Lenin statue in the park across the road before continuing to admire the mosaics decorating the Palace of Culture building.
Best thing you ate?
We were treated to an amazing feast of local cuisine on our visit to Casa Karaman house museum just outside Tiraspol. Babushka Angelica is the ninth generation of her family to own the house and after a tour of the rooms and learning about her ancestors and local traditions, we headed out to have lunch at tables set up in the courtyard and filled with locally grown delicacies: salads, breads, cheeses, tasty noodle and vegetable soup, and jugs of local wine – all deliciously fresh and in generous portions. This was a true experience of Transnistrian hospitality, with Angelica and her team offering refills and seconds at every turn.
Best tip for someone who wants to plan the same trip?
The YPT tour we joined was planned to coincide with Transnistria’s National Day on 2 September, and this is an interesting time to visit Tiraspol and experience the ceremonies, festive celebrations, and a Soviet-style military parade – though this year’s parade was scaled back in light of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Dmitri from GoTransnistria was our local guide for the day and explained the background to the day’s events, taking us through the Soviet period and the Second World War right through to the Transnistrian War of the early 1990s and the years since. He answered our questions in great detail.
There was a celebratory atmosphere in the city, with food and craft stalls, families and groups of friends milling around, and a large stage with traditional Moldovan, Romanian, and Russian music and dance performances. The dance troops were a highlight for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the contrasting styles and high-energy moves. Our guide Dmitri, a former champion dancer, even demonstrated a few moves before the night was over, much to our delight.
What should travelers know when visiting Transnistria?
Many government travel advisories advise against travel to Transnistria due to its proximity to Ukraine and their lack of ability to offer support to travelers due to it being outside the control of the Moldovan government.
Research ahead of any travel to ensure you can have a reasonable expectation of visiting safely. We felt completely safe during our time in Transnistria and found the people we met very welcoming. We opted to travel with YPT to have an expert guide on hand and rely on their insider knowledge and local connections on the ground.
Would we go back? You bet.