Iasi, Romania

Iasi is the largest city in Moldavia, the eastern region of Romania. It was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia for three centuries, and has served as a temporary capital of Romania during the First World War, when Bucharest was under foreign occupation. Being a home to the oldest Romanian university, Iasi has grown to become a major cultural and academic centre of Romania, with over 70,000 students every year. More than 50 churches, a famous Botanical Garden, and many museums and memorial houses, made Iasi to become an important touristical centre in Romania.

more travel information: www.romaniatourism.com/iasi.html

The centre of the city is the Golden Plateau, around which the settlement developed over centuries, and is a home to an impressive number of Orthodox churches. The oldest church is the Saint Nicholas Church, dating from the reign of Stephen the Great (1491). The most impressive, though, are the St. Paraschiva Metropolitan Cathedral and the Three Hierarchs Church, an example of Byzantine art, built in 1635-1639. With the Palace of Culture and the Union Square on each sides, the Golden Plateau has become a major landmark in visiting Romania. Many other important sites can be found on nearby streets.

Two train stations serve the city, with the Central Station providing direct rail connections to all the major Romanian cities, and also to Chisinau. By road, Iasi is connected to Bucharest through a European route. The city is also served by the Iasi International Airport, which has nonstop flights to and from Bucharest, Timisoara, Budapest and Vienna. To get to the main city of Iasi, you could use the Iasi airport transfer service.

Iasi's rail stations are very well connected to all the parts of the city by an extensive public transport network, which consists of more than 100 trams and buses. There is also the option to rent a car using services offered by EuroCars.

Due to the economic boom of the recent years and the increasing number of tourists, Iasi has developed many accommodation offers, such as hotels and hostels, or by renting short and long term apartments.

Finding the appropiate dining place in Iasi isn't difficult. A great number of restaurants and bars are available, with many of them serving traditional Romanian specialties. There are also fast foods available, as well as country specific restaurants.

Iasi has several shopping centres available throughout the city, and there are also available plenty of places to buys souvenirs, the most common met being related to Romanian folk.

Apart from the ocasional events that take place in Iasi, there is always a theatre or a cinema to go to for entertainment, as well as art exhibitions. The nightlife in Iasi has a lot to offer on its own. Iasi has something for everyone, like bars and clubs, discos, or even casinos.