"A long weekend to Moldova" Top 5 Page for this destination Moldova by josephescu

Despite the world fame of Molvadian wines, winemaking was forbidden by law for 300 years, when under the Ottoman empire.

The largest wine collection in the world at Milestii Mici, with 1,5 million bottles stretches over 200 km of underground corridors.

Alexander Pushkin was sent to exile in Moldova for 3 years starting 1820

Leonid Brejnev, the all mighty ruler of USSR between 1964 – 1982, started his political career in Chisinau in 1950 as ruler of the Moldavian soviet republic

Moldova had 3 official languages in less than 5 years: from Russian to Romanian in 1989 and from Romanian to “Moldavian” in 1994

O-zone pop band members were from Moldova

Over 20% of the population in Moldova applied for Romanian citizenship in the last few years

1st of May 2007 meant for me two days off work at the start of the week, hence an opportunity for a long weekend and a short escape out of the country. And with the unspoiled treasures of Moldova just waiting a few hours far, together with a special interest Romanians usually look at this “sister” country with common roots, no one can imagine better reasons to go and see it. And indeed, the country seemed to be offering herself to the traveller on a plate, natural and innocent, with no fuss and no artificial packaging outside Chisinau. The treasures of Moldova do not consist in breathtaking monuments or unique landscapes, but in the opportunity to see the life crossing by you as if you were not a spectator, a place where simple and natural means beautiful.

Enjoy....an out of the ordinary, calm and friendly atmosphere, where people did not seem to rush to collect objects all along the day, where an old lady took time to help us find the four leafs trefoil in her courtyard, where the wine is excellent and the food is so delicious that all you can be sorry of is that you have only one stomach.

When you go to Moldova, take your time and do not rush from one place to another, otherwise you’ll miss the whole thing.

As this was my first time to Moldova, i did Chisinau, Soroca and the achaeological complex at Orheiul Vechi.

• In a nutshell:picturesque land and people with a cruel & sad history