This Stunning Country Is One Of The Fastest-Growing Destinations In Europe For 2026

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When you consider Europe, likelihood is it is Paris and its iconic Eiffel Tower that pop to thoughts, or maybe London and the long-lasting pink phone containers, or maybe, in the event you’ve taken a liking for going off the overwhelmed path somewhat, Croatia and its postcard-ready pebbly seashores straddling the Adriatic.

That’s the Old Continent for newbies.

Now, in the event you’re fascinated by the different aspect of the moon, the place Haussmann boulevards give method to imposing communist-era concrete giants, and it is not a shiny Eurostar that can get you the place it’s good to be, however a Nineteen Nineties marshrutka, the little-known Moldova is all of the riotous enjoyable you’ve got been craving.

You’d higher get there shortly, although: it might have been infamously thought-about Europe’s least-visited nation at one level, but it surely’s now certainly one of its fastest-growing destinations.

Moldova Is Europe’s third Fastest-Rising Destination Right Now

According to the World Tourism Organization, Moldova is now the third-best-performing European nation in tourism. To be extra exact, in the course of the first half of 2025, it noticed a whopping 62 p.c improve within the variety of worldwide guests in comparison with 2019.

It formally surpasses much more well-established locations within the continent, most notably the Mediterranean nation of Malta, which ranks simply beneath it at quantity 4, with a 49% rise in guests because the pre-pandemic period, and Greece, at quantity 10, with an much more modest 24% improve.

Only Uzbekistan, which is variously described as partially-European and Central Asian, and Albania chart larger than Moldova, with upticks of 73% and 122%, respectively.

Contrary to a few of these rivals, nevertheless, Moldova has no seashores; it is not significantly identified for completely snow-capped highlands that may draw winter sports activities fans; and it is not precisely the simplest place to fly into—particularly in the event you’re coming all the way in which from America.

So what is the huge deal right here?

What Have Been Tourists Sleeping On All Along?

As we briefly touched on, Moldova’s most important enchantment is its off-the-beaten-path, rough-around-the-edges character.

It is distinguished for being certainly one of Europe’s least visited nations, however that is largely because of suboptimal promotion somewhat than any inherent qualities.

From the wetlands and rolling vineyards of Southern Moldova, to the capital metropolis of Chișinău, with its thriving social scene, modernist structure, and plush city parks, to the underrated North, residence to the fairytale fortress city of Soroca, it’s a boundless treasure trove begging to be unearthed.

The better part? It’s oddly quiet nonetheless. Despite the large rise in guests, Moldova had solely about 400,000 company sojourn in Moldovan inns and guesthouses this 12 months, 212,200 of which have been foreigners.

Whether you are strolling Ștefan cel Mare Park within the capital, with its tree-lined alleys and fountain-dominated squares, or exploring infinite tunnels stacked from flooring to ceiling with wine bottles, extending for a whopping 125 miles in the world’s largest wine cellar, huge crowds will not be a priority right here.

Who Would Have Thought Moldova Would Be So Affordable?

Speaking of the world’s largest wine cellar, that is Mileștii Mici for you, a brief 27-minute drive outdoors Chișinău. Wine tastings and excursions begin from round $90, and it is a must-do for oenophiles.

Moldova is a bitterly chilly nation to go to in winter in the event you’re feeling the pull proper now, so keep in mind visiting these historic, Soviet-era wine cellars—Mileștii Mici is certainly one of a number of scattered across the nation—is really your greatest guess at retaining heat (and that is no small potatoes).

Now that we introduced up potatoes, it is most likely a superb time to say that Moldova’s potato-heavy meals could be sampled for as low-cost as your mildly beneficiant restaurant tip again residence.

A flavorful mixture of Romanian and Russian culinary traditions, it contains hearty hen soups with numerous dill (zeamă), the undisputably Balkan mămăligă (their model of polenta, often served with cheese and bitter cream), and, after all, loads of roasted pork and lamb.

On common, a meal at an affordable restaurant within the Moldovan capital will set you again by $8.77, or the equal in Moldovan leu (the native foreign money).

If you are planning to splurge somewhat, considering this is one of Europe’s most budget-friendly destinations.

So… On The Transnistria ‘Issue’

Then after all, there’s Transnistria, or how TikTokers like to name it, ‘The Country That Doesn’t Exist‘.

It does exist, de facto, besides it is not acknowledged by any UN member state. We guess they’re North Cyprus’s spiritual sibling.

To the remainder of the world, they’re merely a breakaway province of Moldova presently below Russian occupation, although throughout the boundaries of Transnistria, they maintain their very own elections (type of), have their very own foreign money, and even difficulty their very own passports (although we doubt these are of any use outdoors Transnistria or Russia).

The self-proclaimed capital, Tiraspol is among the final surviving Soviet microcosms, with Lenin statues galore, grand boulevards flanked by Stalinist edifices, and concrete infrastructure that is basically frozen in time, again within the (arguably) superb days of the us.

There is a tough border in place, with passport checks and all, however you may simply go to Transnistria from Chișinău, although the U.S. Government would not advise it. It’s all however an extension of Russia, bear in mind?

If you do determine to go—and we should add most foreigners, together with Americans, face no points—you are by yourself. Should issues go awry on the border, or you end up in hassle by crossing an invisible line right into a no-go zone in Tiraspol, you are by yourself.

How To Get To Moldova

The best method to get to Moldova is by flying, often into Eugen Doga International Airport (RMO), which serves the capital metropolis.

It’s a spotlight hub for a lot of European low-cost carriers, like FlyOne, HiSky, and WizzAir, so you already know the drill at this level: no Transatlantic flights do not imply you may’t get there hassle-free, it simply means you will want so as to add somewhat stopover first in a mainline European airport.

If you are coming straight from America, some choices are Frankfurt (FRA), Vienna (VIE), Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), and, extra not too long ago, Bucharest-Otopeni (OTP), in neighboring Romania, which began internet hosting U.S. flights as of this year.

Wanna preserve the Soviet vibes going? You might alternatively hop on an in a single day prepare from Bucharest to Chișinău, in a communist-era prepare that is hardly seen any main upgrades prior to now 20 years. It’s not probably the most comfy of journeys, however as the youngsters say it lately, you may ‘do it for plot’.

Vinicius Costa

Vini, our senior lead author at Travel Off Path, has over 60+ nations below his belt (and presently weaving tales from Paris!), and a knack for turning off-the-beaten-path experiences into informative tales that can have you ever packing your luggage.