Moldova – Bălănești Hill (430 m)
🕒 Summit at 11:20
📍 Coordinates: 47.21722° N, 28.08306° E
🗺️ Route: Short walk from nearby road to summit area and monument
🚗 Transport to region: 935 km total
• 68 km drive Borovets → Sofia Airport
• 8 km train Sofia Airport → Sofia Bus Station
• 415 km overnight bus Sofia → Bucharest Airport
• 342 km flight Bucharest → Chișinău
• 102 km drive Chișinău → Bălănești Hill
💤 Accommodation: Overnight bus between Sofia and Bucharest
🌤️ Conditions: Warm, sunny, calm late-summer morning
✈️ Another border, another dawn
After the crisp mountain air of Musala, I drove back to Sofia Airport, returned the rental car, and took a short train into the city centre. I had just enough time to stretch my legs and see a few of Sofia’s landmarks before boarding an overnight bus to Bucharest.
It was one of those long, sleepless travel nights, hours of border checks, dim lights, and the hum of the road. I reached Bucharest Airport in the early morning, tired but determined to keep moving. A quick flight to Chișinău, a rental car pickup, and by mid-morning I was already heading west toward Moldova’s highest point.
🚶 The short climb
The drive to Bălănești Hill was rough, with narrow roads full of potholes, dusty fields stretching endlessly, and small villages where time seemed to stand still. My car wasn’t built for those roads, so I parked a few kilometres short of the summit and walked the rest.
It was a gentle, peaceful path, birdsong, warm air, golden fields, and soft hills rolling to the horizon. By 11:20, I reached the summit area, marked by a simple monument and a metal cross.
No drama, no altitude challenge, just silence and sunlight.
☀️ A moment of stillness
After taking a few photos, I sat down on the grass, enjoying one of the calmest moments of the entire expedition. It felt strange and beautiful, after so many high peaks and extreme weather, to stand on this quiet hill and still feel the same sense of achievement.
By early afternoon, I was back in Chișinău, sipping coffee and preparing for the next border crossing, another step eastward in this long European journey.
🍷 A day in Chișinău — wine, sunlight, and slow time
After finishing the short climb to Bălănești Hill, I returned to Chișinău with an entire afternoon ahead, for once, there was no border to cross, no mountain waiting. I decided to let the day unfold slowly. The city surprised me: wide boulevards lined with trees, calm parks, and a relaxed rhythm that felt almost Mediterranean.
I wandered through the centre, stopping at small cafés and markets, before following a local recommendation to visit Cricova Winery, one of Moldova’s most famous wine cellars, a place known as much for its history as for its depth. The underground labyrinth stretched for over a hundred kilometres, carved from limestone and filled with rows upon rows of bottles resting in perfect silence.
A guide led a small group through candle-lit tunnels, sharing stories about state banquets, secret collections, and a few dusty bottles said to date back to World War II. I tasted several varieties, full-bodied reds, floral whites, and a local sparkling wine that caught me by surprise with its freshness.
That evening, I sat outside in a quiet street near Stephen the Great Boulevard, the sky fading orange over the rooftops, a glass of Cabernet in hand. It was the first true pause in weeks, no airports, no deadlines, just warmth, good wine, and the satisfaction of having crossed almost the entire continent.
It wasn’t a mountain day, but it was one of those rare, grounding moments where the journey itself felt complete, even if only for a night.
📅 Date: 5 September 2025
