VIDEO, PHOTO // Discover Moldova with #MOLDPRES: Văleni village, Cahul, promoted as European rural tourism destination

Văleni village promoted as a European rural tourism destination: EU investments turn traditions into opportunities for the community

Văleni village, Cahul district, is becoming increasingly visible on the tourist map of the Republic of Moldova, being appreciated and promoted also at European level. As part of Discover Moldova campaign, the locality was visited by the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, who assessed the projects developed here with European support and their direct impact on the community.

The European Union is contributing to the modernization and enhancement of local heritage through a series of assistance programs, with the region having benefited from approximately 1 million euros. The investments were mainly aimed at turning the village’s cultural and natural resources into sustainable economic opportunities, especially through rural tourism and local entrepreneurship.

Traditions – the economic engine of the village During the visit, the European official went to the History and Ethnography Museum in Văleni, where household items, folk costumes and elements of traditional rural life are preserved. The institution does not function only as an exhibition space, but also as an educational center, frequented by tourists, students and researchers interested in the culture of southern Moldova.

An important stop on the itinerary was also the Carpet Weaving Workshop, where the village craftswomen preserve one of the oldest traditional occupations. Carpet weaving is no longer just a household activity, but has turned into an economic one, with the products being in demand among visitors and promoted as authentic Moldovan souvenirs.

The Ambassador met with women from the community involved in crafts and noted that Văleni is an example of a locality where heritage is not abandoned but integrated into local development. Traditions are thus harnessed not only culturally but also economically, generating income for households and reasons for young people to stay or return home.

Rural tourism and local identity

EU-supported projects have contributed to the development of tourist infrastructure, the promotion of local gastronomy and the strengthening of rural guesthouses. Văleni is located near the Lower Prut Biosphere Reserve and Lake Beleu, protected natural areas that attract visitors interested in ecotourism, birdwatching and authentic rural life experiences.

In recent years, the locality has become one of the most representative community-based tourism destinations in the south of the Republic of Moldova, being frequently included in the itineraries of travel agencies and foreign visitors.

The visit ended in a traditional atmosphere, hosted by Lidia and Tudor Bejenaru, known as the “Grandma and Grandpa from Văleni”, highly appreciated hosts among tourists for their hospitality and for the way they recreate village life of bygone days.

A model of local development

Local authorities and European partners consider Văleni a model of rural development based on cultural heritage. By combining crafts, gastronomy, nature and hospitality, the village demonstrates that rural localities can become economically attractive without losing their identity.

Thus, European investments have not been limited to infrastructure, but have stimulated the community economy, tourism and local pride, turning cultural heritage into a real driver of development and into a calling card of the Republic of Moldova for foreign visitors.