Things to Do in Chișinău, Moldova for Backpackers

Chișinău is the capital of the Republic of Moldova, which gained independence from the Soviet Union on August 21, 1991.

The former Soviet States are among my favourite countries for a bit of exploration.

There are, of course, lots of statues and monuments that are worth seeing and some really good places to get a cheap meal and some liquid refreshment.

This is a backstory from June 2019. I had a week’s vacation, and I crammed a lot in. I spent a full day backpacking Chișinău before heading to Transnistria.

I met lots of cool peeps and drank a shit load of beer. I was on holiday, after all.

My first trip to Moldova was in the winter of 2013/2014. Everything had been grey, drab and very cold.

I wanted to give Chişinău another chance. To see it in more favourable conditions.

I am glad I did. I had a ball in Chişinău.

I took Air Moldova flight 834 from London to ​Chișinău:

Arrival stamp at ​Chișinău International Airport KIV, Moldova:

I rode Trolleybus # 30 from the airport to central Chișinău:

I stayed 2 nights at the Amazing Ionika Hostel (it’s still open):

Backpacking ​Chișinău in the rain:

Arc de Triomphe, ​Chișinău:

Flashback photo. Moldova, December 2013:

The Bell Tower of the Nativity Cathedral:

Stephen the Great Monument/Stefan cel Mare si Sfant:

Grigori Kotovski monument. He escaped from prison in Chişinău:

Memorial Complex “Eternity” (dedicated to Soviet soldiers who died in the Second Jassy – Kishinev Offensive in August 1944):

Memorial to Victims of Stalinist Repression:

Typical dinner at the Gălbenuș (Alexander Pushkin St 22, Chișinău, Moldova) – a popular, inexpensive cafeteria-style canteen. According to Google Maps, it’s still open!!

This meal costs me 46MDL (just over 2 Euros at the time). Grilled veg, beans, bread and Kefir:

Backpacking is thirsty work. In Beer Time, Chişinău with an HF MÜNCHEN. No one drinks Moldovan beer, it seems.

Beer Time was an underground bunker pub. Literally. I only came here because it has the same name as my favourite bar in Tbilisi.

I think it’s closed now. Just as well, it was expensive, and the staff were unfriendly.

Backpacking for blog posts is tiring, especially with 11 planned posts in just a week’s vacation. In the end, I only managed five. I wasn’t such a good blogger back then.

Here I am with a 15 Lev pick-me-up:

I then took a bus from Chisinau to Tiraspol:

Then I backpacked Bender:

Before taking the bus back to Chișinău for one more night, staying once again at the Amazing Ionika Hostel and met up with a friend I had made in Tiraspol for a few drinks.