Behind the Iron Curtain: Romania and Moldova

Tour price from(€):

1470

About Tour

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This 8 days tour will take you through some of the most significant sites associated with Romania's and Moldova's communist history, remembering the Nicolae Ceausescu’s dictatorship, the 1989 anticommunist revolution in Romania versus Republic of Moldova Soviet Experience - who is still struggling to find its identity, embracing two post-soviet daughters – the controversial regions of Transnistria and Gagauzia.Want to learn more? Join us for this tour and learn what life was like in communist Romania and soviet Moldova, but also the consequences of the communist regime's social and economic policies for both countries. Unfortunately, Romania was the only one among the communist block of Eastern Europe where the communist regime was overthrown through violence, with many deaths and victims as a result. For Moldova, the collapse of the Soviet Union was accompanied by a number of ethnic conflicts. After declaring its Independence, Republic of Moldova faced civil unrest in the early 1990s in the southern region of Gagauzia and the armed conflict in Transnistria in the East.

Highlights:

Discover how the communist regime ended after the 1989 anticommunist revolution
Visit the Ceausescu Grave
Celebrating a nation that doesn’t exist – Transnistria
Have a look at the Ceausescu Dream Palace, today headquarter or Romanian Parliament
Get an insight into the link between communism and faith
Live the past while visiting the autonomous region of Gagauzia and breakaway republic of Transnistria.

1 ^st Day

Arrival in Romania

August 29 ^{^st}, 2021

Included highlights:

Fly to Bucharest and transfer to your hotel. If time permits, visit some of Bucharest’s important sights. Check-in to the hotel and enjoy a short presentation about Romania’s communist history. Welcome dinner.

Included meals:

Dinner

2 ^nd Day

On the way to Brașov

August 30 ^{^nd}, 2021

Included highlights:

Spend the morning exploring the city, visiting Bucharest’s Parliament Palace, built in the 1980’s by order of Ceausescu, and Ghencea Cemetery, where Nicolae Ceausescu, his wife Elena and their son Nicu are buried. Before leaving for Brasov, stop in a canteen mall, formally known as a ‘cantina’, where due to a shortage of food in communist times, people were forced by the authorities to eat in large work style canteens. All the cantinas are now malls, where people freely choose to eat. Lunch on the way. En route to Brasov, stop to wander around the famous Bran Castle, which is said to have been Bram Stoker’s inspiration for the residence of the vampire count in his famous novel. Overnight in Brasov.

Included meals:

Breakfast
Lunch

3 ^rd Day

Exploring Braşov

August 31 ^{^rd}, 2021

Included highlights:

A morning walking tour of Brasov will lead you to The Black Church and up Strada Prundului to Piata Unirii. Here you’ll find the beautiful Church of St. Nicholas and The First Romanian School, situated in its grounds. Depart for Birlad for overnight stay in a soviet inspired hotel. In the evening, meet with a typical Romanian family and discuss over dinner how life has changed for them since communist times.

Included meals:

Breakfast
Dinner

4 ^th Day

Meeting Republic of Moldova

September 01 ^{^th}, 2021

Included highlights:

Set off today to the Republic of Moldova and to one of Moldova’s well known sights - Old Orhei, Here, visit 15th century “Adormirea Maicii Domnului” Cave Church. See the remains of Geto-Dacian fortress, a functioning cave monastery, and ruins of the old Turkish bath. After a delicious traditional Moldovan lunch in the village, continue to the capital of Transnistria - Tiraspol. Transnistria is a breakaway territory within the internationally recognized borders of Moldova. Although not recognized by any state or international organization, it is de facto an independent state named the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The country’s national coat of arms still includes the traditional hammer and sickle and a load of Lenin Statues that have not been pulled down. Overnight Tiraspol.

Included meals:

Breakfast
Lunch

5 ^th Day

Awake in Soviet Union-Cricova Wine Cellar

September 02 ^{^th}, 2021

Included highlights:

Awake in Transnistria and see a communistic-type military parade. Enjoy the atmosphere as families relax and shop in the many small stalls lining the main street and pavement cafes are full with people enjoying local beer and freshly cooked shashlik. In the afternoon transfer to the world-famous wine cellars of Cricova. Here, see an underground city with obscure streets that are carrying the names of wines kept here: Aligote, Riesling, Codru, and Feteasca. The wines from this collection have an old history with bottles over 100 years old. Overnight in Chisinau and enjoy a special dinner with wine tasting. Overnight in Chisinau.

Included meals:

Breakfast
Dinner

6 ^th Day

Discovering Gagauzia

September 03 ^{^th}, 2021

Included highlights:

After breakfast we depart to another autonomous region of Moldova – Gagauzia. In order to understand who, the “gagauz” are we shall pay a visit to the Museum of History and Ethnography from Besalma village. There we will learn about the history, culture and daily life of the Gagauz from ancient times to the modern days. Next, we shall visit the last living “Kolhoz” - a collective state farm. Lunch will be served in the canteen of this “kolhoz”, where also the workers eat. In the afternoon, cross the Prut river, the border between Romania and Republic of Moldovia, at Cahul-Oncesti. In the evening reach Galati, an industrial city on the Danube, where the jewel of the communist industry was built - the Steel factory. Overnight in Galati in a communist era hotel.

Included meals:

Breakfast
Lunch

7 ^th Day

Back to Bucharest

September 04 ^{^th}, 2021

Included highlights:

Return to Bucharest – the 300km journey will take around 4 to 5 hours and a stop will be made en route for lunch. Spend some time at leisure in Bucharest before attending a farewell dinner.

Included meals:

Breakfast
Dinner

8 ^th Day

Departure home

September 05 ^{^th}, 2021

Included highlights:

Departure home.

Prices and services:

All services as mentioned in the program
Car or MiniVan with A/C
Professional English speaking guide at your all days

Partner Price:

Price in double room/twin: 1368 Eur
Single supplement: 239 Eur

Included meals:

Breakfast

What People Say

More reviews ›

The trip was really organized to the fullest. Facilities, vehicle, driver and above all the guide Cristina really good! Moldova is very pleasant, especially the monasteries. We have come back indeed from a gastronomic journey a little tipsy. The wines and cuisine really good!

Thanks again!

Dear Victoria!

There are not enough adjectives in the world to describe adeguately the experience of doing a visit with you! You certainly have enhanced my appreciation of your country. I learnt a lot from you on many different levels. Your organizational skills are extraordinary and Explore will definitely receive extremely positive feedback. We were very lucky to have you with us during this short trip.

Thank you once again for all you did so beautifully with grace, humor and smile. I wish you all and only the very best for now and for the future.

Victoria, Just a short note to say thank you very much for everything on Sunday. Despite the long and tiring journey caused by the road closure in Ukraine, we thoroughly enjoyed our day, and learned so much about Moldova, Transnistria and Ukraine. We particularly enjoyed discovering Tiraspol, as it's such an unusual place and gave us a glimpse of how life was under the former Soviet regime. Because British history is relatively simple, with few invasions and no changes of borders, we struggle to understand the complexities of European history.

We were very impressed with your understanding - and with your excellent English language skills in explaining it all to us. It certainly brought to life our visit to your country. I hope your journey back home was a little easier than the one to Odessa. Please give our thanks to our driver on the day - I'm afraid we do not recall his name but we appreciated all he did to negotiate the way through the border crossings for us and to get us to Odessa as quickly as he did despite the obstacles. Good luck for future success in your career. If you are ever in England and are able to visit our area, do not hesitate to give us a call. We could show you the historic city of Winchester and the busy port and waterside areas of Portsmouth, which I'm sure you would find interesting. Thanks again for everything.