Transnistria: The Forgotten Republic + Moldova and Romania

In the afternoon, we arrive in Bucharest, the capital of Romania. This will not be an ordinary trip—welcome to our themed Soviet Tour! You will be accompanied by Hendriks, an enthusiast of the post-Soviet region.

On the way from the airport, we will see the Triumphal Arch and beautiful historic residences. After arriving, we will visit the Mihai Vodă Monastery, the city’s characteristic neoclassical and Armenian quarters, and, of course, its brutalist centre with the legendary TEHNOIMPORT building.

For those who feel like it in the evening, after dinner we will explore Bucharest’s vibrant bar and club scene, well known in the world of electronic music thanks to clubs such as Guesthouse and Barton.

After breakfast, we will head to the central Piața Obor market to soak up the authentic local atmosphere. We will visit the Museum of Communism and explore local Soviet-era architecture as well as beautiful mosaics in the Drumul Taberei district, outside the city centre.

We will also visit Ceaușescu’s Palace, the world’s second-largest and heaviest building.

At 7:06 p.m., we will board an authentic Soviet-era train bound for Chișinău, the capital of one of Europe’s least visited yet all the more fascinating countries. We will leave Romania from the country’s largest railway station, Gara de Nord.

On this nearly 60-year-old train, we will chat with locals about the old days, practice our Russian, and sleep in comfortable compartments. We are heading beyond the European Union.

We arrive in Chișinău in the morning. Its beautiful railway station provides a pleasant introduction to the city and, together with the train experience, feels like a journey back in time.

After checking in at the hotel, we will have breakfast at Andy’s, a local restaurant chain loved by residents—and it is easy to see why. Moldovan cuisine is excellent.

We will also visit part of the abandoned Hotel National, built in 1974. We will not miss the Soviet-era Guguță restaurant, with its especially intriguing design; the colorful Central Market; or the bus station, whose magnificent mosaic dates from the 1980s.

We will explore Central Park, the city center, a defunct astronomical observatory in the broader central area, and much more. In both atmosphere and architecture, Chișinău is a blend of Europe and the Soviet world.

In the evening, we will enjoy a traditional Moldovan dinner at La Plăcinte, accompanied by a tasting of Moldovan wine.

In the morning, we board a marshrutka—a minibus typical of post-Soviet countries—and head to Transnistria.

Transnistria, or Pridnestrovie in Russian, is an unrecognized republic that broke away from Moldova in the 1990s with Russia’s assistance. The conflict has remained frozen ever since.

We will go through a bizarre passport check—where the border is guarded by Russian soldiers—exchange our money for Transnistrian rubles, and be ready to go.

Soviet nostalgia here reaches a 10/10 level—we’ll test that by asking the locals, too. We’ll walk through a city center packed with propaganda, see the still-standing statue of Lenin, visit the local market, and observe everyday life in a European city where people earn roughly €200 per month.

We will have lunch at a Soviet restaurant that has remained virtually unchanged for nearly 50 years, including its menu. We will also see an old Soviet ferry transporting cars across the river and experience life along the local promenade by the Dniester.

We will visit the historic railway station, where trains no longer arrive because of the current situation, although services once ran to Kyiv and Moscow. We will also take a look inside the abandoned May 9 Factory.

In the evening, we will enjoy a tasting of local caviar and a cruise on the Dniester River.

After breakfast at our Soviet-era hotel, we will take one of the world’s longest trolleybus routes, dating back to 1967, to the city of Bender.

In the city, we will take a tour of notable sights, architecture, and Soviet mosaics with Kiril, a local professional. We will visit the House of Culture, the local market with its authentic atmosphere, and the historic fortress.

We will have lunch at a local stolovaya—a traditional cafeteria serving excellent food and uzvar, a sweet dried-fruit drink.

On the way back to Chișinău, we will stop at several artistic bus stops, also featured in Christopher Herwig’s film Soviet Bus Stops, and experience the atmosphere of Moldovan villages.

In the evening, we will see one of the largest murals in the former Soviet Union, depicting Yuri Gagarin, who was enormously admired at the time.

Today will be different—and all the more quintessentially Moldovan for it.

After breakfast, we head to Mileștii Mici for a wine tasting in the world’s largest wine cellar, which contains up to 200 kilometers of underground wine tunnels. Moldova is a country of excellent wine.

We will also sample homemade food, shop for souvenirs, and make the most of our last full day.

Before heading to the airport, we will see La Romanita—an iconic apartment building whose distinctive design made it cost up to three times more than conventional buildings of a similar size at the time.

We will also see the Gates of Chișinău, an intriguing residential complex built in 1987 that guards the city’s southern entrance. Its twin can be found in Belgrade, Serbia.

In the afternoon, we fly home. We have seen things that are rapidly disappearing—and by the time we return, some of them may no longer exist.

During the Soviet era, enormous sums were invested in monumental art, and some of the most talented artists worked on it. Today, it is a shame to see how quickly it is disappearing.

Guide Hendriks has one more thematic surprise for every participant—a keepsake from this trip.