The country sees just over 67,000 foreign visitors a year making it among the least-visited places in Europe, but its burgeoning wine industry could see the number of tourists rise
Natalie King Travel Journalist
03:05, 14 Jul 2026
The country receives a fraction of the visitors of other European destinations(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Budget airline Wizz Air has announced it’s launching a new route from London Gatwick, and if you’re someone who likes to explore lesser-known destinations, this route gives you a chance to visit a European spot with hardly any tourists.
The airline has opened bookings to Chișinău, Moldova from the end of October, with flights already available to book online from the 25th. The new route will operate four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, with flights taking around three hours and 20 minutes and operating year-round.
The city has been named as one of Eastern Europe’s emerging destinations, and the new service complements Wizz Air’s existing flights from London-Luton Airport. One-way fares start at £36.99 and include one carry-on bag of 40x30x20cm maximum size.
Chişinău has a compact leafy centre with incredible architecture(Image: Getty Images)
Nearly a third of Moldova’s residents live in the leafy city of Chişinău, and it has a mixture of high-rise apartments, Soviet architecture, and some unique historic buildings. A lot of its centre was destroyed in World War 2, but some streets such as Strada Columna escaped the bombings and still have quaint 19th-century merchant houses and peaceful courtyards.
Parcul Central Ștefan cel Mare is the oldest park in Moldova, and features busts of some of the country’s most famous writers. Across from the park is The Triumphal Arch, one of the most photographed tourist attractions, an ornate structure built to commemorate the victory of the Russian Empire over the Ottoman Empire. Behind it is the distinctive Cathedral of Christ’s Nativity, built by a Russian architect in a neoclassical style it is topped by a huge dome and inside it’s full of vast murals and gold-trimmed treasures.
The city is a great year-round destination. In the winter, you can enjoy strolling along Strada 31 August 1989 and experience its emerging café culture, colourful street art, and independent shops. Piața Marii Adunări Naționale is turned into a winter wonderland from early-December to mid-January with the arrival of Chişinău’s Christmas markets, with the later openings following the country’s orthodox dates.
Milestii Mici holds over two million wine bottles(Image: VADIM DENISOV/AFP/Getty Images)
Moldova’s wine industry may be relatively small, but it’s one of the oldest in Europe spanning thousands of years of tradition. The Codru region is the easiest to explore from the city; it’s only half an hour from Chişinău, yet its rolling green vineyards feel a million miles from the city.
To the south you can take a day trip to Mileștii Mici, famous for being in the Guinness World Records as the biggest wine collection in the world with over two million bottles. The winery sits on a cellar that stretches over 120 miles, although only 34 miles are currently in use, and some of its oldest bottles date back to the 1970s.
Yvonne Moynihan, managing director at Wizz Air UK, said: “We’re delighted to give our UK customers another opportunity to discover Chișinău with the launch of our new service from London Gatwick. Moldova is one of Europe’s emerging destinations, offering everything from fascinating history and vibrant culture to some of the world’s oldest wine regions. With four weekly flights and fares from just £36.99, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to uncover one of Europe’s best-kept secrets for less.”
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