The Ultimate 10-Day Moldova Road Trip Itinerary

A comprehensive Moldova itinerary for 10 days of independent travel by car. Includes a detailed day-by-day breakdown of things to do in Moldova, and a map.

Famously the least-visited country in Europe, Moldova is slowly fighting its way out of obscurity by positioning itself as a destination for wine and cultural tourism. Those who do travel here still tend to limit their trip to 3 or 4 days, using the capital city, Chisinau, as a base for excursions into wine country and the breakaway region of Transnistria (Pridnestrovie).

Given my keen interest in Brutalist architecture and Soviet-period mosaics, I knew I wanted to spend more time than in Moldova than people typically do. This itinerary features both those things in abundance – as well the must-see wineries, and a day in PMR. It also touches on the unique culture of the Gagauzia Autonomous Territory, and includes other adventures such as hiking in an abandoned limestone quarry.

Self-driving is an easy and affordable way to get around Moldova. This road trip itinerary takes the same route we followed on our visit, starting and ending in Chisinau. You will first head south to Comrat and the Romanian border before shooting across to Tiraspol and Bender, then north to Soroca and the Ukrainian border, finishing in the lesser-visited northwest corner of the country and ending the trip on a high by summiting Moldova’s tallest hill.

Moldova Road Trip Map

Car Hire & Driving in Moldova: Quick Tips

There are no special considerations for driving in Moldova. The highways are fairly good (albeit potholed in some areas), and the driving style is much more patient and toned-down compared to some other places in Eastern Europe. For the most part, we found the roads to be very quiet. The only close call we had was when a deer almost jumped in front of our car near Causeni!

Gas stations are plentiful, and street parking is easy to come by in all cities, including Chisinau.

The one negative thing I will say is that some of the driving legs can feel very long. (The longest day of driving is 4.5 hours, with an average of 2 hours in the car most days.) Maybe it’s the lower speed limits, the unchanging scenery, or a combination of both. Don’t let it deter you, but do be aware that the long drives can be quite draining.

We rented our car through a small company in Chisinau called Car4Rent. There are no restrictions on mileage, no deposit required, and you are allowed to take the car into PMR with prior permission. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. It is a bit tricky to locate their office in Chisinau, so I recommend calling them in advance so someone can meet you on the street.

We paid 30 Euro/day for a Kia Rio. Both cash and card are accepted.

10 Days in Moldova Itinerary

Days 1-2: Chisinau

Two full days is a good amount of time to see the highlights of Moldova’s capital city, Chisinau. Traffic can be gridlocked during peak hours in some areas, and there is really no need for a car in the city – it’s better to get around using the tram system and taxi apps. Therefore, I recommend picking up your hire car on Day 3.

We stayed at the London Boutique Hotel. The location is excellent – walking distance from the centre, with several good coffee shops nearby. Our flight got in at 4am, so we booked our room for the night before and organised to check-in in the early morning. Staff were very accommodating. We used the free airport WIFI to book a taxi for the 30-minute transfer.

When you reach the city, pick up a local SIM card for using taxi apps in the city (Yandex Go), and for navigating during your road trip (Google Maps works just fine for this purpose). We went with Moldcell, paying 100 Lei for a SIM with 40 MB of data. This was the easiest SIM purchase I’ve made anywhere in the world – no contract, and no ID required.

Chisinau is flat and compact, with notable museums and churches clustered around the central Triumphal Arch and Great National Assembly Square, and alternative points of interest – mosaics, flea markets, Socialist architecture – scattered around the Railway Station and to the northeast.

Refer to Days 1 and 2 of my Chisinau City Guide for a detailed breakdown of things to do in your first 48 hours in Moldova.

Save any points of interest on the western side of Chisinau for Day 10 of your road trip – you will be reentering the city from this direction.

• Distance covered: 130 kilometres (81 miles)
• Driving time: Approx. 2 hours
• Accommodation: Medelean Hotel (Comrat)

After an introduction to Chisinau, Day 3 is dedicated to visiting key attractions on the periphery of the city. While it is possible to reach these places from Chisinau by taxi (or by hiring a driver), it is a lot more efficient to drive yourself. At the end of the day, you will continue another 70 minutes south to the city of Comrat in Gagauzia, your base for Day 4.

One important thing to mention here is that the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for driving in Moldova is 0.03%. Degustations are optional add-ons at the wineries – we opted for a tour that did not include a tasting, and it did not detract from the experience (at the end of the tour, we were given a bottle to take home with us). If you do want to drink, you should visit Milestii Mici by taxi from Chisinau instead.

Assuming you decide to follow this route: After collecting your car from Car4Rent, you can easily join the R1 highway with minimal city driving involved. On your way out of town, make a pitstop near Zity Mall to photograph the Former Palace of Culture mosaic.

Your first destination, the Soviet Open Air Museum of Petru Costin, is a 30-minute drive from Chisinau. This is one of two museums in Moldova founded by Petru Costin, a philanthropist who amassed a vast collection of precious artefacts, salvaged trash and confiscated items whilst working as a customs official.

The outdoor museum displays busts, statues and other ephemera – essentially all the objects that are too big for the main indoor museum (up next on the itinerary).

Similar to Memento Park in Budapest, the museum is a final resting place for Communist period statues (mainly of Lenin and Moldovan party officials – there is just one image of Stalin) that would otherwise have been dumped or destroyed. Some have plaques with a brief story of how they found their way into Costin’s collection. The tales (and particularly the omissions) are fascinating.

Several Soviet-era planes, helicopters and Ladas are also parked on the grounds. Entrance is ticketed, and it takes around an hour to see everything.

From there, it’s just 20 minutes by road to the flagship Petru Costin Gallery in Ialoveni. Costin’s main exhibition space is spread over four floors of an old school building. Each collection has its own space, with rooms dedicated to transistor radios, old TV sets, war medals, coins, religious icons, samovars, military uniforms, and much more.

My favourites are the Red Room – an old amphitheatre filled with red banners and Lenin statues big and small – and the detailed recreation of a Soviet school classroom.

Since visitors must be accompanied by a guide, advance bookings by phone are recommended. We were lucky to be accompanied by Natalia, the best guide we had anywhere in Moldova. The full tour takes 90 minutes or more, and costs 80 lei per person. There is an additional 20 lei fee for bringing in a camera. Abridged tours are also available for 40 lei.

The world’s biggest underground wine cellar, Milestii Mici Winery, is a 10-minute drive from Ialoveni. Group tours of the tunnel system (with an optional wine tasting at the end) are available in English, Russian and Romanian, and must be booked in advance. We emailed the office, and were lucky to get one of the last places on a tour the following day. If you are visiting in summer, pre-book as far in advance as possible. There are at least three slots every day at 11am, 1pm and 3pm (possibly more during the peak period). I recommend booking in for 1pm. When you arrive at the winery, visit the office to check-in and pay.

Established in 1969 inside an old quarry where limestone was excavated to build Chisinau, Milestii Mici holds the Guinness World Record for the largest wine collection – the Golden Collection includes 2 million bottles in total, with the oldest dating back to 1969.

Up until a few years ago, private cars were permitted inside the 50 kilometres of used underground tunnels (there are 200 kilometres in total…). Today, guests must go by electric buggy. There are three or four different points where you disembark with your guide and walk around. Some of the narrow stone alleys are curved, which makes it really fun and photogenic.

Officially, the tour lasts 50 minutes, but we ended up spending 1.5 hours in the cellar. Some 80 metres below sea level, temperatures average 12-14°C – so remember to bring a jacket.

The village of Bardar is a worthy stop for its lovely Casa de Cultura (with mosaics by Aurel David) and WWII Memorial. If you’re making good time, there is an option to visit Manuc Bey Castle in the nearby village of Hincesti – otherwise, you can wait to visit an alternative estate on Day 6.

In Fetita and Hirtop, you will see the first of many mosaic bus stops to come. The Museum of Bessarabian Germans in Ecaterinovica is another optional pitstop.

After Ciucur Mingir village, a ‘Welcome To Gagauziya’ sign marks your entry into the Autonomous Territorial Unit. Granted special status in 1994, Gagauzia is one of the few places in the world where Orthodox Turkic culture has survived. The Gagauz people speak their own language, and have their own customs and cuisine, with carpet-weaving playing a major role in material culture.

Unlike Transnistria PMR (see Day 5), Gagauzia is not formally separated from the rest of Moldova (it is more like Ajara in Georgia in this respect). There is no border or checkpoint.

• Distance covered: 160 kilometres (99 miles)
• Driving time: Approx. 2.5 hours
• Accommodation: Gagauz Sofrasi (Congaz)

Tonight’s accommodation at Gagauz Sofrasi is a 30-minute drive south from Comrat. After a morning stroll around the city, you have the whole day to drive across the Budjak Steppe between Gagauzian villages, and a chance to venture further south to one of Moldova’s mosaic hotspots, Cahul.

Drop into the reliable Augusto Patiserie for a coffee and a placinta (Moldova’s favourite pastry snack) before popping across the road to Comrat’s Saint John Cathedral. The church aesthetic in Moldova is very different to other Orthodox countries, and this church – the most beautiful we saw during the course of our visit – is a good example of why. Big, low-set windows let in natural light, and delicate pastel-coloured frescoes give the space an airy, gossamer feel.

Continue down Strada Lenin to the Great Patriotic War Memorial and Eternal Flame, and the Monument to the Victims of Chernobyl. Every Moldovan town seems to have the same arrangement, often with an additional monument to the Afghan War. Comrat’s is special because it is decorated with an image of the nuclear reactor.

On the way to the park, you will pass a square with a Lenin Statue – another ubiquitous feature of Moldovan cities that is novel at first, but soon starts to feel very normal!

The Comrat Regional History Museum opens at 9am on weekdays (closed Mondays) and is worth waiting around for before you jump in the car, not least of all to see another bust of Lenin, this one arranged Accidentally Wes Anderson style on the stairwell.

The exhibitions and diorama (staff are very proud of the latter) are also very photogenic. Entrance to the museum costs 15 lei. Staff speak English and will be happy to show you around for an additional fee.

When you’re ready to leave Comrat, drive southwest in the direction of Ceadir-Lunga. The R37 is a good road to take – there are some very beautiful wooden houses right along the highway.

In Tomai, you will see the loveliest bus station mosaic of them all. A couple of exemplary monuments come into view shortly afterwards.

Still within the Gaguaz Autonomous Territory, the village of Gaidar is famous for its windmill. We tried to visit, but Google Maps delivered us to the opposite side of a very muddy ditch – so that wasn’t happening. This was after finding the Museum of Carpet Weaving was closed for a ‘special holiday’ – another disappointment. If you want to visit, I highly recommend contacting the Tourism Office in advance via Facebook to make sure they’re open.

As you inch closer to Ukraine, you will start to notice road signs for the border zone. The mosaic bus stops and statues just keep coming. We made a quick stop in Ceadir-Lunga for its Golden Lenin Statue, but decided to give the abandoned aerodrome a miss when we couldn’t find the guard.

You are now in one of the narrowest parts of Moldova, meaning you can cut across the country west and be at Romanian immigration in just over an hour. This is a great opportunity to visit the border city of Cahul, which has some of the most impressive large-scale Soviet mosaics of any city in Moldova.

We relied on Mark and Kirsty’s brilliant Cahul Guide to navigate Cahul. You need at least an hour (ideally longer) here. Highlights include the vivid Sports School mosaic, the Palace of Culture mosaic (below left), and this whimsical panno of a woman swirling ribbons amidst a flock of doves, located on the facade of an apartment complex on Strada Mihai Eminescu (below right).

My favourite is the mosaic on the facade of the Liceul Teoretic Serghei Rahmaninov (pictured at the top).

We had originally planned to drive all the way down to Vulcanesti, located in a Gagauzian enclave further south, but we simply ran out of time.

I do recommend arriving at your accommodation, Gagauz Sofrasi, before dark. You’ll want to get an early start on Day 5, so it’s best to explore the property on the evening you arrive. You’ll also want to eat dinner at the restaurant here.

Gagauz Sofrasi is marketed as a place for ‘cultural immersion’. Honestly, I was quite disappointed with the experience – our interactions with staff were purely transactional without a hint of hospitality, a common theme throughout our time in Moldova, I’m sorry to say. (We got along great with the cats, though!) The real kicker was that staff refused to let us inside the single-room museum because we didn’t have a guide with us. This is despite us being paying guests of the hotel.

Having said that, there aren’t really any other options nearby – unless you were to spend a second night at the Medelean Hotel in Comrat, which would definitely be more affordable. I don’t regret visiting Gagauz Sofrasi: the restaurant set up is beautiful, and we really enjoyed the food. But in hindsight, I might have just dropped in for a meal and slept elsewhere.

Gagauzia is marketed as a culturally unique destination, but we didn’t exactly find it accessible. This might be your only opportunity to try the local cuisine.

Day 5: Tiraspol & Bender (Transnistria / Pridnestrovie)

Today is one of the longer drives, so be sure to leave Gagauzia well rested. Most of the day will be spent in the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, AKA Transnistria. This breakaway territory in eastern Moldova declared its independence in 1990, but is yet to be officially recognised by any UN Member State (it is, however, recognised by Abkhazia and Samachablo/South Ossetia).

I was a bit hesitant about visiting PMR given its proximity to Ukraine and the presence of peacekeepers and Russian troops. But I needn’t have worried. At the time of our visit, it felt completely normal and even a bit touristy. Every other foreigner we met in Moldova was doing the same. Security and immigration procedures were straightforward, and the guards who processed us were professional and kind. The situation can change at any time, however, so you should stay on top of local news in order to make an informed decision.

Reminiscent of St Mary’s of Leus in Albania, this church is not terribly well documented, and was a very pleasant surprise. The Eastern Orthodox church dates to the 15th-17th centuries and just reopened in 2024 following extensive restorations. You’ll notice that the building is sunken and partially underground – this was done to comply with Ottoman rule at the time, which specified that no church could reach higher than a mounted soldier.

The frescoes were painted in 1763 by Wallachian masters, and are a rare example of Byzantine-style art in Moldova. I can see why this church is sometimes referred to as the ‘Sistine Chapel of Bessarabia’.

The church has museum-style opening hours (closed on Mondays), and entrance is priced at 30 lei. If you find the gate locked like we did, pop into the Town Hall and staff there will help you to get in touch with the caretaker.

After passing the border checkpoint and entering Transnistria, I suggest you drive across the Dnister River to visit Tiraspol first. There is a small parking lot adjacent to the sports field behind the Transnistrian Government building. Your first photo in Transnistria can be of the iconic Lenin statue raised on a tall stone plinth (pictured at the top).

As you walk further into town, stop and exchange a small amount of money for Transnistrian rubles. International bank cards are not accepted in PMR, and you should also know that mobile coverage on the Moldcell network is spotty (download any maps you need ahead of time). We exchanged 50 Euro at a shop at this location on 25th October Street. There are two fabulous sgraffito murals (below left) directly overhead.

Spend about two hours walking around Tiraspol, visiting the City Hall, the Yuri Gagarin mural (did you know that Moldova was responsible for the space food for the cosmonaut program!?), and Victory Park.

Our Cafe serves coffee and cherry pie, and for an early lunch, Cantina URSS (above right) is quite an experience. The subterranean dining rooms are done up in a very kitsch Soviet style. I might have thought it was a tourist trap had I not seen hoards of office workers arriving to spend their lunch break here. The food is served buffet-style, and is not bad considering everything is microwaved.

KVINT Wine & Cognac Distillery was founded in Tiraspol in 1897, and is the area’s longest-running business. Tours are held on weekdays at 12pm midday, and places must be reserved in advance. They also offer wine and brandy tastings that range from 15-70 USD per person. The tour takes a minimum of 90 minutes, so be sure to factor this into your planning. Unfortunately we missed the memo and arrived too late.

Return to your car via Strada Karl Liebknecht to see Catherine the Great Park and the Green Market before driving back across the river to Bender. The lovely Tiraspol Mosaic is right on the way – you can’t miss it.

Bender Fortress closes at 6/7pm depending on the day of the week, so you should prioritise visiting the castle first. Allow 40-60 minutes to walk through the fortification, climb the towers, and inspect the small museum.

We then parked up at the railway station and explored the rest of Bender on foot, stopping to go inside the Gorky Cinema. Our highlight of Bender was the former bus station mosaic, now located inside a fashion shop. Staff were kind enough to let me climb the otherwise off-limits stairs to get a closer look. As a way of saying thank-you, I left with a new item of clothing – it shall forever be known as my Bender Dress!

Before leaving Bender, drive down to the Palace of Culture on the river. As well as the lovely mosaics on the facade, there is a great painting inside by Burya Mikhail Afanasievich and Obukh Vladislav Andreevich that dates to 1963. Again, staff were kind enough to let us in and turn the lights on so we could have a good look around.

On the way out, make a short detour to visit the ethereal Palace of Culture Mosaic in Hirbovat – another of my favourites.

Day 6: Old Orhei

• Distance covered: 120 kilometres (75 miles)
• Driving time: Approx. 2.5 hours
• Accommodation: Valea Stancii (Trebujeni)

Finally it’s time to explore the north of Moldova, starting with the popular Old Orhei archaeological complex. Day 6 is a nice change of pace – less driving, and more time in nature.

Old Orhei is located 60 kilometres north-east of Chisinau. You will be spending the night in Trebujeni, one of three villages located within the complex, which means you can dedicate the better part of the day and evening to the area.

On the way to Orhei from Chisinau/Bender, I recommend making a short detour to visit Curchi Monastery. Founded in the 18th century, it boasts Moldova’s tallest church dome (57 metres). There is a beautiful view of the salmon-coloured church from the opposite side of the small lake near the carpark. The interior is very pretty, and the old ruins on the church grounds are interesting too.

For a quick breakfast en route, Marcu Bakery is located right on the highway.

You can also stop at the Manor of the Balioz Family. In a similar vein to Manuc Bey Castle, this estate was established in 1873 for the Armenian aristocrat Carabet Balioz before being nationalised and used as a military hospital in the 1940s. It has since been partially restored, and houses a small exhibition about Orhei’s vernacular architecture alongside preserved period rooms.

The entrance to Old Orhei is located another 10 minutes east. The archaeological zone sits in a big basin and is wrapped around two hairpin bends of the Raut River, which makes it a bit confusing to navigate. You can drive through parts of the complex, but the main cave monasteries can only be reached on foot. Give yourself 4-5 hours to explore at a steady pace, and remember that the complex officially closes at 7pm (or 5pm in winter, November-March).

One of three Tentative UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Moldova, the Orheiul Vechi Archaeological Landscape is a layercake of Palaeolithic, Iron Age and Medieval ruins. Not to downplay its significance, but from a tourist’s perspective, most of the excavated ruins are very basic – oftentimes all you see is a faint outline of a foundation in a field. Some imagination is definitely required.

A numbered route takes you between a fort, a caravanserai, the ruins of a church, and several other points of interest. You can either drive like we did, or set out on foot along a marked 4.6-kilometre Heritage Trail. The most interesting (and best-preserved) site in my opinion is the Tatar Bath Ruins, located on the way into Trebujeni.

Old Orhei’s main draw is definitely its cave monasteries. Cut from the limestone cliffs that tower over the river, they are by far the most exciting and photogenic attraction. The monasteries reminded me a bit of the cave city of Vadzia in Georgia – only the cells here are even more spacious.

Park your car at the Tourist Information Office and purchase your tickets (a small parking fee is also due). From there, it’s a 20-minute walk to the main cave monastery, the 19th-century Pestera Rupestrian.

Follow the marked path and when you reach the top of the ridge, the modern St. Mary’s Church appears. The entrance to the cave chamber is located beneath its bell tower.

One solitary monk lives here – you might see him lighting candles at the altar.

Step out onto the ‘balcony’ for a view of the river, and notice the scraps of paper pressed into the porous limestone cave walls. Each one bears a pilgrim’s wish.

There is another cave monastery further along the cliff that most tourists seem to miss. At least at the time of our visit, we were the only ones who ventured out that far – we ended up having the complex all to ourselves. It is more impressive than Pestera Rupestrian in my opinion, so you should definitely take the time to hike down here as a priority.

Known as the Monastery of Foreman Bosie, it was rebuilt in 1665, and comprises a dozen dormitories, a church, and a necropolis. Old Cyrillic inscriptions can be seen carved into the rock walls, and the river views from this location are even more spectacular.

To get there, exit through the back gate of St. Mary’s and follow the dirt road past the marble Geto-Dacian Monument. Follow the purple sign for the Horseshoe Trail, turning off to the left to walk all the way down to the river’s edge. The path is a bit steep and uneven, but it’s manageable in sneakers.

When you see the metal cross in the grass and the information board, pick your way back up the cliff face to find the niches.

When you’re finished, drive back up and around the river to check into your guesthouse in Trebujeni, stopping at the Tartar Baths on the way. We stayed at Valea Stancii, a comfortable guesthouse with an onsite restaurant.

Our dinner of mamaliga cornmeal, cabbage rolls and placinta pastries was delicious. A simple breakfast is also included in the rate.

• Distance covered: 135 kilometres (84 miles)
• Driving time: Approx. 2 hours
• Accommodation: Central Hotel (Soroca)

Today’s drive takes you further north to Soroca, a small city on the Dniester River just over the border from Ukraine.

On the way, there is an option to leap frog between several more cave monasteries dotted along the Dniester. If you elect to visit Tipova and Sarhana, take the R20 highway out of Orhei. Just note that both are reasonably remote and require some walking to reach. We had our fill of caves in Orhei, so we decided to have a light day and head directly to Soroca.

Upon entering Soroca, head straight for the Candle of Gratitude, a monument erected in 2004 to honour those who have defended Moldovan culture across the ages. Hopefully you will find the 600-and-something stairs are mostly shaded. The walk culminates at the base of the tower, where there is a small chapel and a viewpoint overlooking Ukraine.

Soroca is a very small city. After an excellent lunch at La Faleza, we took it easy at the well-appointed Central Hotel before heading out to explore Soroca Fortress in the late afternoon.

Built under the reign of Stephen the Great in the late 1400s, the perfectly circular fortification is without parallel in Moldova. The exhibitions inside the fortress were very ramshackle and a bit disappointing, but it’s still worth buying a ticket to explore the interior courtyard and climb the five bastions.

Before sunset, drive up to Gypsy Hill for a wander around Soroca’s famous Roma neighbourhood. The streets here are lined with surreal mansion houses fitted with ostentatious decorations. Some are modelled off famous landmarks including the Capitol Building and the Bolshoi Theatre.

While many are unfinished, others are occupied. We got a few funny looks from the locals when we were taking photos.

We finished the day sitting on the high wall outside the fortress, enjoying a soft drink and a snack as we people-watched on the riverside boulevard.

Day 8: Taul Park, Fetesti & Balti

• Distance covered: 215 kilometres (134 miles)
• Driving time: Approx. 4 hours
• Accommodation: DBS Hotel (Balti)

Day 8 of this Moldova road trip sees you staying in the north, crossing west to the Romanian border for a short hike in the Fetesti Natural Reserve before finishing in Balti, Moldova’s second-largest city.

Heading west out of Soroca, stop in the village of Taul for a walk around Taul Park. Created between 1901-4 by Russian-French banker Andrei Pommer, it has the unusual distinction of being Moldova’s largest park – 46 hectares, with 150 species of trees.

The grounds are overgrown and largely unkept, but there are some cool abandoned buildings on the property, including the main Pommer Palace. The cinema house – a leftover from the estate’s days as a Soviet sanatorium – was an unexpected find.

An hour’s drive west, Fetesti Natural Reserve is nicknamed the ‘Little Switzerland of Moldova’ for its beautiful gorges and hornbeam forests. Chalky cliffs up to 300 metres tall tower among the grasslands.

Cut from its edge, an abandoned Soviet limestone quarry now serves as a popular hiking route. An easy path takes you up and around the lip of the quarry, where derelict mining equipment and an old excavator stand frozen in time.

This little hike was definitely one of the highlights of Moldova for me. It’s not everyday you get to explore an abandoned quarry, and it was pretty cool to climb up into the crusher station over the conveyor belts.

The landscapes in Fetesti are gorgeous – and from what I’ve seen, it looks even more spectacular in autumn.

After you’ve finished the hike, it’s time to commence the journey south back towards Chisinau, stopping for the night in Balti. Balti was the dark horse of our Moldova itinerary, and another unexpected highlight. If you’re into mosaics, monuments and Brutalist architecture, you will love this industrial city.

Find a short guide and suggested walking route here in my Balti City Guide.

You have plenty of time to explore Balti on the morning of Day 9, but you should still try to arrive before sundown. We ate dinner at Andy’s Pizza (you have to try Moldova’s popular restaurant chain at least once!), and had a lovely walk along the pedestrian mall.

DBS Hotel in the centre of Balti is another well-priced, comfortable accommodation with friendly staff and free secure parking out front.

• Distance covered: 100 kilometres (62 miles)
• Driving time: Approx. 1.5 hours
• Accommodation: Poarta Neamului (Temeleuti)

There is not too much ground to cover today, so you can enjoy an easy morning in Balti before picking up the drive south-west. Hiking to the country’s highest point, Balanesti Hill, is a great way to end your time in Moldova, and the main activity for Day 9 before returning to Chisinau.

We started the day at Coffee In before strolling down Balti’s Independence Street for a second time to photograph some of the buildings we missed the previous afternoon. We then jumped in the car to track down the large-scale mosaics on the edge of the city (find the locations pins inside my Balti post, linked above). Beermaster Pub and Brewery is a great spot for lunch before you hit the road.

If you’re satisfied with the time you’ve already spent Balti, you could drive an hour further west of the city to visit the Zimbraria Domneasca Bison Reserve instead.

From either location, it’s a straightforward 90-minute drive to Temeleuti in Calarasi. Located at the base of Balanesti Hill, this village is a convenient starting point for the hike because it’s not too far from the highway you’ll need to take to return to Chisinau the next morning.

Poarta Neamului, an ecotourism complex in Temeleuti, was the best stay of our trip – and quite honestly, the only place where we experienced any sort of hospitality. Upon our arrival at the family run guesthouse we were treated to a short tour of the 100-year-old home and a jug of cold compote before the owners walked us down to the nearby lake and pointed us in the direction of the trail.

Because the top of the hill is flat and surrounded by muddy fields, the end point is fairly anticlimactic! But it’s cool to be able to say you’ve climbed Moldova’s highest hill.

There is a flag, a sign board, and the beginnings of a viewing platform at the summit.

After the hike, return to the house for a homemade dinner, arranged in advance. The generous spread of pickled tomato salad, mamaliga and beef stew accompanied by homemade wine was far and away the best meal we had in Moldova.

For our final full night in Moldova, we slept inside a geodesic dome set in the vineyard out back.

Day 10: Return to Chisinau

• Distance covered: 75 kilometres (47 miles)
• Driving time: Approx. 1.5 hours

From Temeleuti, it’s a short 90-minute drive back into Chisinau. After returning our rental car, we parked up at a laptop-friendly Tucano Coffee Brazil for the afternoon before heading to the railway station to board the sleeper train to Bucharest.

The Pretenia (‘Friendship’) is famously the train that stops at the border to have its wheelsets completely swapped out. This is because Moldova uses Russian broad gauge tracks, while Romania has narrower standard gauge rails.

It’s definitely a cool experience to be aboard as the wagons are hoisted into the air one by one. I highly recommend travelling in the Chisinau-Bucharest direction, because the border crossing occurs in the early evening when there is still enough daylight to witness the wheel change process. The 3am wheel change when travelling in the opposite direction doesn’t sound like much fun!

Our first-class berth on the train had a very comfortable couchette and clean linens. A word of warning, though – there is no AC on this train. The heat was almost unbearable at the start of June, so I can’t imagine what it’s like in peak summer.

Further reading for Moldova