Iasi Romania

Intro

Iasi is the capital and largest city of both Iasi county and the region of Moldova, Romania. The city is home to almost 320000 people and used to serve as capital of the country during World War I and before 1861.

An important educational center, Iasi hosts the oldest Romanian University, University of Iasi, opened in 1860, along with five other universities.

The city was first mentioned in a document dating back to 1408 by Alexandu cel Bun (Alexander the Good), Prince of Moldova.

Location

Iasi is situated in the region of Moldova in northeastern Romania. It lies on the banks of the Bahlui River, a tributary of the Jijia River which itself is a tributary of the Prut river that makes up the border between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

The city is a mere 20 km away from the eastern border with the Republic of Moldova, yet almost 500 km northeast of the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

Getting to & around

The easiest way to get to Iasi is by train. Being one of the largest cities in Romania, Iasi is one of the hubs of the InterCity network of fast and comfortable trains that helps connecting it with other important areas of the country.

Another way to get to the city is by car, using the available European and national roads in Moldova.

Iasi has an international airport just northeast of the city that connects it with major national and European destinations especially in Austria, Germany and southern Europe (Italy, Spain).

Attractions

The city is home to some nice pieces of architecture. Amongst them, the most important are:

  • The Trei Ierarhi Church – 17th century church built in Byzantine style;
  • The Church of Saint Nicholas (“Biserica Sf. Nicolae”) – built during the time of Stephen the Great (“Stefan cel Mare”), 1457-1504;
  • The Palace of Culture – built in neo-Gothic style;
  • The Art, The Ethnography, The History and The Technology Museums – all hosted in the Palace of Culture.
  • Other churches such as: Galata (1581; mineral springs nearby), Cetatuia (late 17th century), Frumoasa; Iasi hosts no less than 40 churches besides the few I’ve just mentioned;
  • The dendrologic park of Repedea;
  • The vineyards and gardens surrounding the city.

Accommodation

Please visit our page of Iasi hotels to get further information on Iasi accommodation or to comment or rate a specific hotel.

Sports

The main sports team in Iasi is the male football team Politehnica Iasi. The teams has been playing in the Romanian top division for a couple of years but without much success, their main objective year in year out being to avoid relegation.