Transnistria

We visit the country that doesn’t exist – and which is also discouraged in all travel guides🫣 In the eastern part of Moldova, about 1.5 hours drive from the capital Chișinău, lies Transnistria and the city of Tiraspol. It feels like a frozen Soviet time warp, where time stands still. At least that’s what we’ve read everywhere online. This morning we took a local bus there, as our car rental company doesn’t allow you to drive into “the country”. And honestly, it was also a bit cheaper than the guided day trips we had looked at… over 3,500 kr for us as a family 😅 Yes, you’ll probably get a lot of funny stories with a guide, but for us it worked better to be able to move around freely. In our opinion: totally overpriced! The bus costs about 20 kr per person per way, and it’s really easy to get there and back. It leaves from the central bus station in Chișinău, and the city can be easily explored on foot. The weather today is also absolutely fantastic, cloudless and around 21 degrees ☀️ At the border we got a 10-hour “visa”. A small white note that you really shouldn’t lose. The border crossing only took a few minutes, even though there were about 15 of us in the minibus. Our experience? It’s much more modern than expected. Yes, there’s a statue of Vladimir Lenin, and there’s a bit of a Soviet vibe, but otherwise it’s a pretty ordinary city with supermarkets, gas stations and smartphones everywhere. Everything is in Russian, but it still works fine. We’ve experienced both trendy cafes and more authentic restaurants, where it feels like stepping back into the Soviet Union. At the same time, it’s also a bit special: They have their own banknotes, their own police, license plates and the whole system around a “country”… even though it doesn’t really exist internationally. The local currency cannot be used outside the “country” 🫣 Visa cards also don’t work, so we had Moldovan lei and euros with us, which could be easily exchanged everywhere 👌 We saw almost no military, maybe 3-4 soldiers in total. Otherwise, it was all very peaceful, calm and felt safe. Something you also notice is the name “Sheriff”, which is everywhere. It is a huge company that owns almost everything: supermarkets, gas stations, mobile networks and even the football club. A bit like one company running half the country. The company was started by two former people from the Soviet system, which perhaps also explains how they have gained so much influence. The strangest thing is that it feels like a country, but it doesn’t really exist. Everything works… just a little bit next to the rest of the world. A place where many feel much more Russian-oriented, both culturally and linguistically than in the rest of Moldova 🇲🇩 Is it safe to visit? Yes, it is safe. Quiet and peaceful and feels completely safe. The area has been stable for many years, but is still discouraged in travel guides due to the political situation, not because there is unrest in the streets👍 Conclusion: definitely worth a visit, but a bit different than expected👍