Dozens of historical sites, unique natural landscapes, authentic traditions and gastronomic culture of the south of Moldova are combined in four tourist routes with a total length of 173 kilometers. Each of the four routes offers landscapes characteristic of the region: small islands of forests, meadows and pastures, broad plains and arid steppes typical of the south of the country.
The opening ceremony was attended by USAID Moldova Mission Director Scott Hoeklander, MCTA Project Director Tatiana Durlestean, State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture Andrei Cistol, tour operators and guides, local government representatives, and hosts Vinăria din Vale and Eco Village Văleni.
"Supporting the tourism sector creates jobs in rural areas, especially for women, and stimulates regional development and entrepreneurship. Expanding the tourism offer with a focus on local attractions and improving conditions for rural tourism encourages international tourists Combining guesthouses, bodegas, small craft workshops and museums into tourist itineraries offers tourists a wide range of new experiences and can create opportunities for tourism development in the region.
USAID is also supporting 20 rural guesthouses to increase their accommodation capacity and diversify their tourist product, thus helping them increase the length of tourists' stay and increase their income. This support helps strengthen tourism in Moldova in these difficult times for the sector and increases the long-term resilience of rural guesthouses to various economic shocks."
Scott Hoeklander / USAID Mission Director in Moldova
The first 16 amateur runners and cyclists experienced the trails, discovered the authenticity of the region and appreciated the local gastronomy.
Each route is about 40 km long and can be overcome either by bicycle or on foot, from any starting point as desired by the tourist. The bicycle routes are well-marked with ecological signs. QR codes allow you to download digital maps from www.moldova.travel. The portal provides recommendations for places to rest, accommodation, relaxation, nature activities and events of interest to tourists. The routes mostly follow national roads, but there are also sections with country roads or through forests.
With the support of the MCTA, some guest houses and wineries on the trails were equipped with bicycles and tents to rent out to tourists. Others have received special "tandoor" pots to diversify their gastronomic offerings and organize cooking workshops. These facilities enrich the tourist experience, making the routes in the south of Moldova more attractive for tourists. ANTRIM develops the local tourist product with a comprehensive vision and considers all aspects necessary to make it attractive to guests: development of skills, promotion, creation of quality content and communication. The project's investment in marking 173 km of trails and digitizing maps was $40,000.
- Natalia Țurcanu / Executive Director of ANTRIM
Routes description
Bicycle route C2 "On the traces of Gagauz culture, traditions and cuisine": the bicycle route Comrat - Ceadir-Lunga.
The length of this route is 53 km, and tourists can get acquainted with the authentic local gastronomy of the Gagauz community. Starting from Comrat, the capital of Gagauzia, and cycling through the Gagauz countryside and villages, you will experience the Gagauz atmosphere - unique in its ethnic Turkic origin - and taste traditional Gagauz dishes, flavors and wine. On this route you will have the opportunity to taste the wine of the two most famous local wineries, to explore the history in the most famous Gagauz museums and to taste the best güzlemey and kavurma in the ethno-tourist complex "Gagauz Sofras".
C3, C4, C5 bicycle routes called "Discover the warmth of Southern Moldavia" will please visitors who will return again and again to the warmest region of the country.
C3 - The Plopi-Pascani route includes visits to wine cellars and connection with nature. On this route you will find the only spring in Moldova whose water is scalding and you will discover the beautiful resort town of Cahul.
C4 - The cycle route Plopi - Pascani - Slobozia Mare is unique not only because of the variety of natural landscapes, but also because of the people you meet along the way - artisans, housewives, singers and simple but special people from the south. On this route, you'll learn about authentic southern cooking. You can also experience some light adventures - boat rides on the water, bird watching, horse and wagon rides. The route includes 9 craft workshops, 2 museums, guest houses, wine cellars, and some of the most beautiful viewpoints in Moldova, especially at sunset - the Golden Hills of Valeni and Beleu Lake - an ideal place to relax after a long day on the bike.
The C5 - Slobozia Mare - Vulcănești bicycle route invites you to discover unexplored natural landscapes, where you will pedal along hills covered in vineyards and orchards. The route is relatively easy, 30 km long, so you can admire the villages and rural life. At the end of the bicycle route you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the Gagauz people, traditions and cuisine at the winery "Cara Gani" in Vulcanesti. We recommend you to arrive in Slobozia Mare the evening before the bike tour, to visit the winery Vinăria din Vale and take a wine tasting tour, and to visit the village and the nearby Beleu Reserve, where you can ask the Reserve office for a boat ride on Beleu Lake.
The itineraries "Discover the warmth of southern Moldavia" will make you discover a world of authentic flavors and aromas. Along the route you can start with typical dishes of the region (roast with cheese) at the House of Grandpa, then have lunch with fish from the Prut, cooked in tandem at Eco Village Văleni, and finish the day by tasting aromatic wine at the Winery in the Valley, paired with cheeses and dried fruits. Calories won't be a problem, you just go on this gastronomic adventure by bike!
The official launch of the hiking trails also included a cooking class with representatives from USAID, the Ministry of Culture and the executive director of ANTRIM. They cooked traditional pesmeti, the so-called cheese baked in the region.
USAID has supported sustainable tourism development in Moldova since 2013 to put Moldova on the international tourism map. USAID, through the Measure to Support Competitiveness in Tourism and Light Industry (MCTA), develops tourism infrastructure and links it to the tourism product, thus building upon the results of previous USAID tourism infrastructure development in the southern region of Moldova, in particular the Competitiveness Project, which seeks to promote comprehensive and holistic development of the tourism sector in Moldova.
These bicycle routes were created and launched by the National Tourism Association
Moldova (ANTRIM), with the support of the Competitiveness Support Activity in
Tourism (MCTA), an EDGE Buy-in project, funded by the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID).