Europe
Rolling vineyards, cave monasteries and some of Europe's largest wine cellars.
Moldova is a small, largely rural country between Romania and Ukraine, and one of Europe's least-visited. Wine is its calling card: the underground galleries of Mileștii Mici and Cricova stretch for kilometres. Orheiul Vechi has a monastery carved into a limestone cliff above a river bend, and Chișinău is a leafy capital with parks, markets and Soviet-era architecture.
Travel is unhurried and hospitable, with plăcintă pastries, mămăligă and plenty of home-made wine. Roads are slow and signage is limited, so a driver or tour helps for wineries. The breakaway Transnistria region operates separately, so check your government's travel advice before going there. May to June and September to October are best, with the harvest in autumn.
May, June, September, October.