Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) Travel Blog
Travel guides, itineraries, abandoned places, street art and off-the-beaten-path places in Pridnestrovie (Transnistria)Hello and welcome to our Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) travel blog. You will find all our Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) blog posts in this section of our website.
Maybe you found our Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) travel blog because you are considering a visit to the former Soviet Union, or perhaps you are partway through planning a trip to the Balkans. Whatever the reason, we hope we can provide some useful resources and travel tips for Pridnestrovie (Transnistria).
Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) is a breakaway self-declared republic. Unrecognised by the UN (officially, it is part of Moldova) and everyone else apart from three other former-Soviet Union non-recognised states: Abkhazia, Artsakh, and South Ossetia, It is often referred to as the country that doesn’t exist. The official name of the region is the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. This is abbreviated to PMR and, locally, it is known as Pridnestrovie. Transnistria, or Transdniestria, are commonly used to describe the territory in English. However, a law was passed in September 2024 by the Supreme Council of the PMR that banned the use of the term “Transnistria” from being used publically within the region. For reasons of clarity, we use the official name coupled with the more familiar English name in brackets.
We have been to Transnistria twice, first in 2016 and more recently, in July 2019. If we are honest, the first time we went there, we spent the night in Tiraspol, the capital, and left wondering what the fuss was all about. But in the time between our visits, our interests shifted, and when we returned, we rushed around manically between Tiraspol, Bender and a couple of other places, completely exhausting ourselves and our 10-hour visa!
Our Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) blog posts are generally aimed at independent travellers and backpackers like us and have a strong focus on travelling around using public transport, staying in budget accommodation and exploring off-the-beaten-path and lesser-visited places.
Browse all of our Transnistria blog posts
In photos: Lenin statues in the former Soviet Union
Photographs of Lenin statues in the former Soviet Union. These fifteen monuments to Lenin are still standing in the former USSR.
In Photos: Magnificent Brutalist and Modernist Bus Stations
Photos featuring ten of coolest brutalist and modernist bus stations we’ve spotted on our travels, highlighting some magnificent architecture.
A Short History of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1991
A short history of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1991. A guide for those travellers to the former USSR who want to learn about the history of the region.
In photos: Twenty-five examples of Soviet mosaics in the former USSR
Photographs of some of our favourite examples of Soviet mosaics in the former USSR. These mosaics are perfect examples of art in post-Soviet states.
In photos: Soviet Mosaics at the Youth Sports School in Sucleia, Pridnestrovie (Transnistria)
During our visit to Transnistria, we stumbled across these Soviet mosaics at the Youth Sports School in Sucleia, a small town 7kms southeast of Tiraspol.
Things to do in Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) on a 10-hour visa (including a map of locations)
Visiting Pridnestrovie (Transnistria): The best way to spend a 10-hour visa in Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) with a map of locations and tips on what to see in Tiraspol and Bendery.
Suggested Itinerary to Ukraine, Moldova & Pridnestrovie (Transnistria): From Uzhhorod to Kyiv
Suggested itinerary to Ukraine, Moldova & Pridnestrovie (Transnistria) in Eastern Europe. This overland route starts in Uzhhorod and ends in Kyiv.