Transnistria is the size of Dallas, Texas. Nestled between Moldova and Ukraine, it has a population of just under 500,000 residents who mostly speak Russian.

And in the eyes of the world, it doesn’t officially exist.

Once, Transnistria was part of Moldova, but in 1990 it declared independence after the fall of the Soviet Union and Moldova’s alliance with Romania. There was a brief war, with some 1,500 casualties, which ended in something of an impasse.

Transnistria remained independent from Moldova, but is not officially recognized as its own nation. It’s not a part of any other country, and yet it’s not a country in its own right. Its money is completely useless outside of its borders, its passports unusable.

Would you go there?

Like Cuba and even North Korea before it, Transnistria has become something of a tourism hotspot for adventure-seeking travelers looking to go back in time. Stroll through one of Transnistria’s cities and you’ll stumble across statues of Lenin and the proud display of communist icons.

In Transnistria, the Soviet Union is alive and well.

Do you love stark Soviet-era architecture? Boy, you’re gonna love Transnistria. What about the fact that the country really only has one brand of things — supermarkets, restaurants, cinemas, football teams— called Sheriff, started by former KGB agents back in the ’90s?

Most travel to Transnistria on day trips from Moldova or Ukraine, an easy enough task given that Transnistria grants 10-hour travel permits. You can take the train or the bus to the capital city of Tiraspol, and from there, explore on foot.

Some highlights: Kvint Cognac Distillery, where you can sample this luxurious drop, responsible for 5 percent of Transnitria’s GDP. (They sell 20 million bottles of the stuff every single year.) Also, 25th October Street, Tiraspol’s main drag. There’s even a beach in downtown Tiraspol on the banks of the Dnieste river.

Speaking to National Geographic earlier this year, a local tour guide said “Showing my beautiful country to foreigners is my contribution to raise international recognition to my homeland. We do not officially exist, but when people visit us, we feel that somehow we do exist.”