One of Europe’s smallest yet most divided nations, Moldova is a country of multiple personalities. The nation claims some of the most fertile soil in the former Soviet Union with forests and vineyards stretching to every corner of its landlocked borders. Yet the natural splendour of Moldova conceals a population torn by political and ethnic tensions. Civil strife has given rise to two break-away republics: transdniestr and Gaugauz. With a history as colourful as its landscape, Moldova is an intriguing place to visit; a post-Soviet enigma waiting to be unveiled

May to August, or whenever you can-Moldova’s Kafkaesque bureaucracy makes obtaining a visa a virtual lottery

Strolling along the leafy boulevards of the capital Chisinau, stopping to sell the roses at the 24-hour flower stalls Finding a taste of the Orient by bargaining your way up and the exotic central market Heading underground to the subterranean wine village at Cricova and sampling Moldova’s most successful export: dry white Sauvignons and gaudy sparkling reds Getting a feel for the austerity of religious life at the magnificent 13 tn-century monastery of Orheiul Vechi carved into a remote cliff face

Read Tony Hawkes’ travelogue Playing the Moldovans at Tennis, the product of an unlikely bet involving the Moldovan football team; for a deeper cultural perspective read Charles King’s The Moldovans: Romania, Russia and the politics of Culture

Watch The Last Month of Autumn, winner of the Cannes Grand Prix in 1967, a poetic tale of an elderly Moldovan peasant and his family which has come to represent the national spirit

Eat mamaliga, a maize porridge served with cheese, cream and diced fried meat; in Gagauz try the very savoury sorpa, a spicy soup made from ram’s meat

Drink Sauvignon, Cabernet and Muscat wines produced in abundance in local vineyards, and be sure to sample local varieties such as Feteasca, Black Rara and Moldova

La revedere! (goodbye)

Fine wine; sunflowers; tin-pot republics; oriental carpets; statues and memorials; national pride

The separatist republic of Transdniestr its state currency by sticking a postage stamp of Suvorov, a local war hero, on obsolete Russian roubles

Local traders [in Chisinau’s central markt] flog carpets from Turkey while wrinkled pensioners desperately clutch a bizarre collection of bras, T-shirts and not-so-sexy knickers. Porters scurry around with trolleys to carry goods away, cars honk like crazy as they madly try to squeeze through the bustling crowds, women spit out sunflower seeds and old men huddle in groups in groups haggling for the best bargain.