Moldova

Rating: ★★★★★ (4.9 / 5)

Moldova is one of Europe's least-visited countries, a small landlocked nation between Romania and Ukraine with a quiet, unhurried character and a few genuine surprises up its sleeve. Chief among these is Cricova, a vast underground city of wine cellars carved into limestone caverns that stretch for over 120 kilometres, making it one of the largest wine collections in the world. Chisinau, the capital, offers a mix of Soviet-era boulevards and a lively cafe scene, while the breakaway territory of Transnistria, operating under its own flag and currency, provides one of the most unusual and thought-provoking travel experiences anywhere in Europe.