Why Moldova? A weekend in Europe’s poorest country
Why Moldova? was the question we were asked at customs in Chisinau. Good question! We flew from the Netherlands for €30 round-trip and enjoy a bit of an adventure. So, we went to the poorest and least-visited country in Europe for three nights. Expectations were low.
It’s a country that had its heyday during the Soviet era and hasn’t really recovered since. This is evident in the bumpy roads, empty and dilapidated hotels, and unhealthy-looking people. Yet, as a tourist, it’s not a bad experience at all. Starting with the prices. A bus ride costs 2 lei, regardless of how long you’re on the bus. 2 lei is equivalent to almost €0.10. If you take the bus from the airport to the city center, which takes 40 minutes, you pay the same amount. A conductor comes on the bus to collect the symbolic 2 lei. She doesn’t look at you, as that’s not customary here. The people aren’t exactly sociable, but tourists are very welcome.
We also went to a football match, between the local Zimbru Chisinau side and their main rival, Sheriff Tiraspol. Sheriff plays in the Champions League and hails from Transnistria, the region that likes to consider itself separate from Moldova. A match ticket costs 30 lei, or €1.50. For that, you watch 22 footballers toil for 90 minutes. The level of play is truly abysmal, considering these are the two biggest clubs in the country. It felt like a match between Emmen and Fortuna Sittard. The stands are also very empty; of the 10,000 people the Zimbru stadium can hold, perhaps 1,000 were actually there.
From the stadium, you can see the beautiful Eastern Bloc apartment buildings towering above the stands. These Eastern Bloc apartment buildings, it seems, haven’t been maintained for years. It gives a typical impression of Moldova, but at the same time it looks very sad, and I’m not particularly interested in seeing what it’s like inside.
Despite the poverty, there are few homeless people on the streets. People seem embarrassed by the lack of money, or there are simply too few tourists to ask for money. There are 10,000 tourists a year, which would sell out the Zimbru stadium, and we’re just two of them. Despite the poverty and the Eastern Bloc image, Moldova is quite Westernized. You see a lot of American-looking chains on the streets, trendy coffee shops, and sandwich shops. I didn’t expect this, but I wonder if the average Moldovan actually goes to these shops. In some places, you pay €2 for a coffee, which is very expensive considering the average wage is €150.
I feel like we haven’t fully seen the real Moldova yet. For that, you’ll have to get outside the big cities and really mingle with the locals. That’s a challenge for next time, because this country has much more to offer than just a weekend of fun.
Highlights:
- The many parks. Moldova is truly green, and Chisinau is one of the greenest cities in Europe.
- Soviet architecture. Despite Moldova’s rather Western feel, you can’t ignore the beautiful gray Soviet architecture. It’s not your cup of tea, but it’s a wonderful piece of history.
- Wine and cognac. Moldova has very good red wines, and Transnistria specializes in cognac. If you’re here, you really must visit a vineyard!
Why Moldova? Plenty of reasons, I think. Just go!
