If you don’t have time to visit all of Moldova, but want to get a feel for what life is like in much of the country, try Eco-Resort Butuceni. All of its cottages are made of natural materials. Lucky guests can even sleep on a lijanca — a toasty bed that is an extension of a stove. Be ready for the Butuceni staff to put you to work. You will feed the animals, milk the cow, collect eggs from the henhouse, and perform other tasks that capture the charm of country living.

You can also attend cooking workshops. In one of them you will knead dough and make bread with your own hands. Food at Butuceni is phenomenal, and local music and dance add spice to the menu. If you’re an outdoorsy type, you can climb the Orheiul Vechi rocks. And in the evening you can relax in the guesthouse spa. If you come at Christmas, you can ride a horse-drawn sleigh and listen to traditional carols.

The Benzin family created the first rural guesthouse in rural Moldova, which they dubbed Casa Din Lunca. In addition to good food, you will find a pool and children’s playground. If you want to do more than just relax, there are bicycle trails near the guesthouse. To top off a great day, try a sunset boat ride on the Raut River.

The name Vila Roz comes from its owner’s love of roses, which she grew in her garden. Visitors can stay in the resort’s guesthouse or — if they feel like roughing it — in a nearby camping area. Vila Roz’s specialty is croissants with jam — and the staff will teach you how to make them if you want. The resort has bicycles for those who would like to pedal around discovering the Old Orhei. If you come at Easter, the resort offers egg-painting workshops.

A good time to visit the Hanul lui Hanganu guest house is — well, anytime. Take a virtual tour of the guest house to see for yourself. In summer you can take boat rides on the Nistru and hike to Tipova monastery or take a horse-drawn carriage through the villages along the river. In winter, you can skate on the frozen Nistru River. The Tipova waterfall is also frozen then, and what a sight! It looks like an ice kingdom from a movie. After you’ve traipsed around outside for a while, your cottage stove will warm you right up. Don’t leave Hanul lui Hanganu without tasting the house specialty, miniature sarmale.

This pension got its name from its location under the most beautiful rock formation in the village. In addition to enjoying traditional food and dance, going on carriage rides, and participating in cooking workshops at Casa De Sub Stanca, you can learn how to knit dolls and hats from corn husks — a traditional craft.

The Bahmut Club is a good jumping-off point for hiking through the Plaiul Fagului nature reserve. In summer it also offers outdoor movies, jazz evenings and soul-soothing bonfires. A good way to get to the resort from Chisinau is by train. It stops right at Bahmut village.

The Fata Morgana guesthouse is on the eastern shore of the widest part of the Nistru River. It’s so wide there — more than a kilometer — that locals call the area the seaside. The resort actually does have a beach, complete with wooden chairs and big sun umbrellas. In summer you can ski, jet-ski or fish on the Nistru. So many people walk away with fish that it is considered an angler’s dream. If you need to recharge your batteries, take in the sweeping views of the river from high ground. Or climb rocks or explore the Peştera Femeilor Infidele — the Cave of Unfaithful Women. Another attraction is the Green Waterfall, which is eight meters high and 25 wide. Not only does watching it mesmerize you, but in summer its mist cools you off.

If you go to Congaz, which the locals have dubbed the largest village in Europe, you must stay at the Gagauz Sofrasi Guest House. Its authentic wooden houses amount to a miniature version of a traditional Gagauzian courtyard. The complex, which can accommodate 20 people, is built entirely of natural materials. All of the architectural trappings repeat, in the smallest detail, what locals of 100 years ago saw in their homes. These include stoves with lejanca — extensions where you can lie down — plus small wooden windows, hanging rugs, and traditional wool carpets.

Spend the night at Gagauz Sofrasi, enjoying the traditional costumes and dances, savoring Turkish meat dishes such as kavurma, and munching on gozleme bread, pizza-like pide and manga pie.

The La Gura Cuptorului guesthouse is next to the Bread Museum in Valeni and not far from the Prutul de Jos nature reserve and Lake Beleu.

If you stay, you will want to learn about Moldova’s traditional breads. This will include the difference between botcala — spontaneously leavened bread — and yeast-leavened bread. You will also learn how to create hoopoe, or mother-in-law bread, and burnacei, pigeon bread.

Your stay wouldn’t be complete without meeting Lidia Bejenaru, the Grandma of Valeni, who gained international fame as a member of a Moldovan folk ensemble. She charmed millions of Eurovision talent contest watchers with her drum-playing in 2005.

The owners of Eco Village Valeni will not only provide you with lodging, but also wooden boats you can use to glide across Lake Beleu, one of Eastern Europe’s most pristine bodies of water. In the boats you can float among water lilies so lovely that it looks like they have been painted on the lake’s surface. If you like fishing, try your luck! An amazing sight is flocks of water birds arriving in Lake Beleu, particularly pelicans. The village of Valeni offers delights as well. You can watch traditional carpets being made on sturdy old looms or visit the Bread Museum, which contains dozens of varieties of this Moldovan staple. Another intriguing spot is a wine cellar with a secret chamber where the women of Valeni hid from invading soldiers in both world wars.

Casa Veche is a more than 100-year-old village house that will give you an idea of how rural Moldovans lived at the turn of the 20th Century. Its owners decided recently to turn it into a bed and breakfast for those looking for a traditional country experience, which can include seeing horse-drawn carts. The food at Casa Veche, which is close to the Dniester River and the Ukrainian border, is all-natural. An interesting story about Palanca village is that an agreement in 2012 that ended a border dispute between Ukraine and Moldova meant that many villagers’ homes were still in Moldova while their farmland suddenly ended up in Ukraine. A new border checkpoint in 2018 has made it easier for the villagers to tend those plots.

Vila Dora is a country inn with old wooden floors, huge traditional carpets and rustic furnishings near the Dniester River. The food the owners serve is not only authentic Moldovan, but as fresh as can be.  The inn located in an enchanting region, both in terms of nature and spirituality. Two nearby landmarks are the Japca Monastery and Moldova’s largest Jewish cemetery in the village of Vadul-Rascov. Vila Dora is also close to the medieval fortress at Soroca and the 30-meter-tall Candle of Gratitude Monument. The writer Ion Durta came up with the idea of creating a monument to honor those who have made special efforts to preserve Moldovan culture. It was erected in 2004.

You’re in for a once-in-a-lifetime treat at the Mester Faur, a treehouse inn with thatched roof that you reach by walking up an outdoor staircase. The thatch is a great fit for Cioburciu, whose history dates back 650 years. Around the village is one of Moldova’s loveliest forests. If you love soaking up nature, then a walk through this relaxing woodland is for you. You can also go boating or fishing or tour the Purcari winery.

If you love honey, and are curious about how bees are raised, you will adore the Conacul Mierii – or Honey Mansion – inn. Surrounding the inn are fruit trees that burst into bloom in spring and dozens of brightly painted boxes containing bee colonies. You will find the area quiet, except for some soft buzzing. Your hosts, Victor and Ana Ciolacu, work daily with the bees to produce the sweetest and healthiest honey you will ever find. They love to tell their guests – including curious little ones – about the bees’ everyday lives and how they produce honey.

The story of the Gandrabur’s family began long time ago. Inspired by the long cherished desire to give a second life to the old household owned by the ancestors, the Gandrabur spouses spend a few years working abroad while pursuing the idea of coming back to Moldova and investing in the restoration of the old family nest and then turning it into a hospitable, beautifully arranged guest house called Valea Stîncii, serving traditional meals and local wine, carefully stored in the 17th century cellar. Welcome to rest in the old garden at Valea Stancii, breathe in deeply the magic air of countryside evenings and enjoy everything what has the name of tradition. Valea Stâncii is for you to discover local traditions, leaving behind your everyday worries and enjoying small, though important things.

Rotundu Residence is a very special place, a charming blend of pastoral and nowadays life. Catching your eyes throughout the location will be rather harmonious canvas of the traditional Moldovan style combined with the shabby chic design. In addition to delicious meals, flavored herbs tea and particularly soulful atmosphere, the hosts of the Residence will invite you to give a hand of help during special rural life events: in spring time it would be cleaning and trimming the vineyard and planting all sorts of greenery; in summer it would be fishing and harvesting seasonal fruits and vegetables; and in the fall time – welcome to harvesting grapes and winemaking.

Casa Verde Guest House is right in the heart of Orheiul Vechi cliffs, just look for house number nine from the entrance to Trebujeni village. Here you could dive into the surrounding beauty, feeling calm and cozy thanks to the hospitality extended by the hosts as well as by the atmosphere of ancient history. At Casa Verde you could sip your coffee out in the flower garden, on the terrace, and if it happens to be on a holiday – then you will be welcomed to Casa Mare. Moreover, besides tasting and enjoying traditional meals, you could also participate in cooking classes or other ways to learn about traditional Moldovan cuisine.

Have you set your mind on opening a few days getaway to Orheiul Vechi accompanied by your quadruped? Then you are welcome to stop at La Popas in Butuceni. At the invitation of the hosts of the house, you could enjoy here assorted dishes of traditional cuisine served with young homemade wine.

When you enter the Karaman House Restaurant, you get the idea you are in a country home built a century ago. And the cooking matches the atmosphere. It consists of traditional Moldovan dishes that are hearty and scrumptious. If you want to learn how to make some, the staff will teach you. To gain an additional feel for local country life, you can help tend gardens. To top off your visit, try a relaxing boat ride on the Dniester River.

The elements of comfort and rationality are defining for the interior and exterior of the MUZE Guest house. The building is already in a rustic setting, so combined constructive elements have been used to offer guests a unique experience. The guest house has a generous lawn and views of the Nistru River. Guests can park bicycles, cars and other types of transport in the parking lot adjacent to the Guest house.

The pension has an accommodation capacity of 14 numbers, of which the smallest number has an area of 16 square meters, and the largest is close to 36 square meters. In total, the pension could accommodate up to 42 people. All numbers have a bathroom and toilet. The furniture is minimalist and purchased from domestic manufacturers.

This guest house is an ideal place to spend the night and enjoy a home-cooked healthy meal after a day of cycling and exploring the region. The proximity to the Prut River and the natural Manta Lake gives the place a special beauty, and the hospitality of the hosts and the aroma of Moldovan dishes will make you want to stay longer or perhaps return here again and again.

Guest house Casa Rândunicii is found in an area with unique landscapes in Moldova, between the rocky banks of Trebujeni village, which became an attraction in the Cultural-Natural Reservation “Orheiul Vechi”. The guest house is built near the parental home and was designed in accordance with local architectural traditions, but with modern interior finishes that offer comfort to the most demanding tourist.  “Casa Rândunicii” has an accommodation capacity of 4 rooms, a summer terrace and a playground for children, a closed terrace for organizing events and a traditional wine cellar. The hosts will be happy to welcome guests with traditional and area-specific dishes, prepared on the basis of local vegetables and food.

La Prisacă is an agro-tourism complex under construction near the forest, which includes a porch and bee products, a guest house, huts for rest in the summer season, and playgrounds for children.

La Nistru guest house is located in Molovata Nouă, a special location, on the Left Bank of the Nistru River, in Codru vine and wine area. It all started back in 1970, when the location was known as the summer camp on the Dniester River. It was here that children rested during their summer holidays. Its history takes on a different scale in 2019, when at the initiative of the proprietors, the construction of an agro-tourist guest house was launched, which currently offers accommodation, restaurant, terrace, patio and playground for children. The business is also proud of its bakery that provides the camp and the guest house with fresh goodies all year around.

“Trei Pastori” is a relatively new Guesthouse. Why relatively new? Because until recently it was a summer camp for children. In 2020 it went through major renovation and turned into a comfortable hostel offering room to accommodate 30 tourists. It is located amidst the nature, while on its territory there is a nice lake / outdoor swimming pool, terrace, patio, barbeque. The guesthouse is built in a rustic style, while each room is decorated with traditional elements (carpets, stoves) and the bathroom. In the guest house there is also a restaurant where you can pre-order delicious traditional dishes. If you want to break away from the urban agglomeration and spend a weekend in an area with traditions, in a picturesque and hospitable environment, then this is a perfect place to go.

The Guesthouse and House Museum Vatra Ancestorească was opened after 12 years of work by Anton Lascu, motivated by his passion for beautiful things, symbols of Moldovan traditions. Long ago, here was a 186 years old Boyar House, restored by Anton Lascu. Here you will see some of the National Costumes traditional for the people of Moldova as well as the tools used by the artisans – works gathered from all over the country. At the Vatra Stramoseasca (Ancestral Hearth), guests can taste traditional cousin, as it was in the time of their ancestors, and taste wine in the cellar of the house. Woodcarving workshops could be arranged for the large groups.

The „Turnul Alb” Guest house located in Costesti village, 20 km from Chșinău city and 8 km from Ialoveni, offers you excellent conditions to spend your holidays or the end of the week. Secluded and removed from the crowds and routine of the city, Guesthouse “Turnul Alb” offers you the necessary conditions for relaxation and rest in nature.

The „Turnul Alb” Guest house has: accommodation / halls for events / restaurants / swimming pools / rooftop / lake view / fresh fish from its own lakes / select menu of dishes.

Tired of the hustle and bustle of the city? Do you want to enjoy quiet days in nature? Curtea Taraneasca agritourism centre is ready to open its doors to you! Here you can not only relax from the hustle and bustle of the city, but also live in authentic traditional rural houses and experience the atmosphere of the past.

Hill & Valley is a family friendly farm and agtourism destination, available for private events only. The eco farm and vineyard complex are located only 30 minutes from Chisinau offering rest and relaxation in a beautiful area on the edge of Codru with trails down to a peaceful lake while the terrace overlooks a gorgeous valley, old nut orchards, and the tranquil village of Telesau. Their mission is to provide modern facilities to modern families and to, eventually, provide farm-to-table food in a sustainable environment supported by the local community to facilitate and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation.

The guesthouse offers a range of amenities, including accommodation in private rooms, complimentary breakfast, excursions, bicycle rides, and courses on making traditional plum brandy (“țuică”). They specialize particularly in Moldovan traditional cuisine and encompass a wide array of culinary products.

The story of Saharna-Tiglau Resort and its cottages began several years ago when Victor Lupascu the owner and host, discovered the place by chance when hiking in the area. He was impressed by the natural landscapes and dramatic views over the Dniester River from a height of 90-100 meters. Then, he was intrigued by the discovery of some old early 20th century mines dug underground by hand. And finally, Victor was impressed by the rich history and cultural heritage of the territory with archeological excavations discovering traces of a prehistoric Iron Age settlement dating back to the 10-9th century BC.

At Maria Minciună’s gastronomic workshop you can enjoy various culinary delights, including acacia jams, shock flowers, cherry tomato jam with peppers and even berry liqueurs.

In the village of Selemet, Cimișlia district, there is an agro-guesthouse that seems to be straight out of a fairy tale. Everything here is decorated in a traditional style. Within the guesthouse’s premises, there is also a museum showcasing traditional Moldovan craftsmanship. The guesthouse’s primary aim is to foster tourism in the local area, contribute to the community’s economic development, and attract both domestic and international tourists for accommodation and various events.

The “La Tudora” guesthouse is a place where you can find tranquility on the banks of the Lower Dniester. Here, you can indulge in traditional dishes, fish broth cooked over an open fire, hot pies baked in the oven, cornmeal cooked on embers, and roasted homemade chicken. In addition to the wooden cottage that carries the scents of the forest and wildflowers, you will come across haystacks covered with old straw mats.