After an 8-hour bus ride from Bucharest, Romania, I finally arrived in Chisinau, Moldova. Exhausted from the journey, I quickly booked a bed at Like Hostel in the city center for just USD 10. After a refreshing two-hour nap and a much-needed shower, I was ready to explore.

I booked a taxi through Yandex Go to take me to Milestii Mici, paying EUR 40 for the round trip since it’s about 18 km from the city center. Although there are tours available online, I decided to go for a DIY experience. Upon arrival, I headed straight to the reception and requested a tour with wine tasting. You can also book in advance on their website.

Discovering the underground wine city of Milestii Mici was an incredible experience. Founded in 1969, this winery specializes in making collection wines, high-quality wines, table wines, and sparkling wines. Their wine production is renowned worldwide and highly appreciated by wine specialists.

The underground wine city is one of Moldova’s most significant tourist attractions, drawing over 20,000 visitors annually. In 2005, the Golden Collection of Milestii Mici was registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest wine collection in the world, with about 1.5 million bottles. Today, they boast an impressive 2 million bottles. At the end of the tour, I was delighted to receive a bottle of wine as a gift.

After the tour, I headed straight to the bus terminal for my trip back to Bucharest, as my flight back to Saudi Arabia was departing from there.

Expenses Breakdown

• Roundtrip Taxi from City Center to Milestii Mici: EUR 40
• Hostel: EUR 10
• Tour: EUR 40
• Bus Back to Bucharest: EUR 20

Total Expenses: EUR 110

This trip was a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation, and I highly recommend visiting Milestii Mici if you find yourself in Moldova!