About Moldova:
Moldova (officially, the Republic of Moldova) is in Eastern Europe, with an area of 12,928 square miles (roughly the size of the U.S. state of Maryland) and population of 2.42 million as of 2025. Moldova is a landlocked country, Moldova shares borders with Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north and east. Moldova’s capital is Chișinău, the country’s largest city and main cultural and commercial center. The official state language of Moldova is Romanian, which is the mother language of 80.4% of the population (as of the 2024 census).
On August 27, 1991, as the dissolution of the Soviet Union was underway, the Moldavian SSR declared independence and took the name Moldova. But, the strip of Moldovan territory on the east bank of the Dniester River on the country’s border with Ukraine has been under the de- facto control of the breakaway government of Transnistria since 1990.
Moldova became a member state of the United Nations on March 2, 1992. It is also a member of the Council of Europe; the World Trade Organization; the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe; the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development; the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and the Association Trio.
The constitution of Moldova was adopted in 1994, and the country became a parliamentary republic. The president is head of state and a prime minister is head of government.
Under the presidency of Maia Sandu, elected in 2020 on a pro-Western and anti-corruption ticket, Moldova has pursued membership in the European Union, and was granted candidate status in June 2022 and accession talks to the EU began in December 2023. President Sandu strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine
Moldova is the second poorest country in Europe by GDP per capita after Ukraine. Much of its GDP is dominated by the service sector, although agriculture plays a significant role….especially that of wine-production as you can see by the official stamp above. The traditions of Moldovan wine are more than 7000 years old, so wine making has become an integral part of Moldovan culture. There are more than 150 wineries in the country that produce wines, cognacs and champagne.
Catholic places of interest in Moldova:
Eastern Orthodoxy is the dominant religion in Moldova, with 95.2% of the population identifying as Orthodox. In 2020, the Catholic population of Moldova was approximately 20,000, representing about 0.56% of the total population. The Diocese of Chișinău, had 27 priests and 24 nuns serving 20 parishes in 2020, according to their website.
Chișinău: The Cathedral of Divine Providence
Traveling to Moldova
We recommend Moldova due to its relatively unspoiled countryside…..much more like the Europe you expected to find 50 years ago…genuine people without the crowds of tourists. The official state language of Moldova is Romanian, which is the mother language of 80.4% of the population (as of the 2024 census).
The Chișinău airport (code RMO) is the only airport in the country. Moldovan airspace re-opened for commercial passengers on March 21, 2022. Most flights to Chișinău , including direct flights from London, Rome, Bucharest, Istanbul and other major cities, have resumed. Wizz Air currently offers 21 different routes to cities throughout Europe.
Visitors to Moldova from European, North American, CIS and several other countries do not need a visa to enter the country. Be sure to check the specific visa requirements for your nationality here.
Bus and train transportation with other countries (e.g., Romania) is operating normally as of mid 2025, with the exception of the train from Chișinău to Odessa, Ukraine for obvious reasons.
Domestic travel within Moldova is also operating normally with bus routes on schedule.