Trip to Moldova and Romania

[u/rubesf9]

Spent two weeks in March exploring a bit of Moldova and Romania. My trip started in Moldova, where I spent about 4 days in Chișinău. The city itself doesn't take too long to explore and I'd say 1,5 days are enough to check most of it.

After that, I went to Tiraspol. The trip to Transnistria was pretty smooth: I took a marshrutka from Chișinău to Tiraspol, which then stopped at the border between Moldova and Transnistria. There, they checked my passport and asked how long I would stay. Received a piece of paper that allowed to stay for 12hrs and, in Tiraspol, I exchanged some Moldovan lei for Transnistrian roubles and visited most of the places I had previously tagged (it's hard, even with a Moldovan eSIM, to get a proper connection once you pass the border, although there are places with WiFi). I took another marshrutka in the afternoon back to Chișinău.

My last trip in Moldova was to Orheiul Vechi. Just like the trip to Tiraspol, I went to the central bus station in Chișinău and took a marshrutka to the village of Butuceni. From there, it's a short walk to the top of the hill where the old Orthodox monastery is located - the views are incredible from there and worth the visit. Schedules to and from Orheiul Vechi can be found on their website.

Pics:

1. Orheiul Vechi;
2. The Orthodox Monastery at Orheiul Vechi;
3. Belfry and the Cathedral of Christ's Nativity, Chișinău;
4. Eternity Memorial Complex, Chișinău;
5. Suvorov Monument, Tiraspol.

Romania:

I took a flight from Chișinău to Bucharest, where I stayed for about 3 days. The city can be a trip of its own and was quite impressed with the size and scale of some of its buildings and avenues.

After Bucharest, I took a train to Brașov. I decided to stay there for 4 days: it included one day in Sibiu and a day tour of Bran and Peleș Castles and Râșnov Fortress. Brașov is a charming city and can also serve as a base for exploring Transylvania. I got to and from Sibiu by train and as for the tour itself, they can be a good alternative to renting a car and still checking some of the main highlights in a limited time.

From Brașov, I went to Cluj - my last stop in this trip. It's a vibrant city and I didn't expect it to enjoy it as much as I did. I stayed for 3 days, including a trip to Salina Turda and another day tour, this time to Sighişoara and Biertan. To visit Salina Turda, I took a bus from Cluj to Turda and then walked from Turda's city centre to the old entrance of the salt mine. The Turda Salt Mine is impressive and a great option to spend half a day if you have some time to spare in Cluj. Sighişoara is also really worth a visit.

Pics:

1. Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest;
2. Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest;
3. Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest;
4. The Black Church, Brașov;
5. Saint Nicholas Church, Brașov;
6. The Lutheran Cathedral of Saint Mary, Sibiu;
7. Bran Castle;
8. Parcul Central "Simion Bărnuțiu", Cluj;
9. Turda Salt Mine (Salina Turda);
10. Biertan;
11. Sighișoara Clock Tower.

[u/kpagcha]

How did you get to the small towns and villages like Biertan? Did public transport work well?

[u/rubesf9 → u/kpagcha]

To Sibiu, I took a train from Brașov. They’re somewhat frequent and it takes about 3hrs; I left in the morning and came back later in the evening.

To go to Biertan and Sighișoara, I booked a group tour from Cluj and they drove us there. I’m pretty sure there are also some group tours that go from Brașov to Sighișoara, at least. Trains worked fine and public transportation in the main cities are also reliable.