The Complete Guide to Iași

Iași is the cultural capital of Moldavia and, for many Romanians, the city where the country's modern culture was born. Romania's first university and first national theatre appeared here, and the hills all around are dotted with churches, monasteries and vineyards centuries old. This is a city of books, students and historical memory, best discovered slowly.

Why Iași

For centuries Iași was the capital of Moldavia, and in 1859 it was here that the union with Wallachia was sealed. The city still carries that former-capital legacy: broad boulevards, palaces, theatres and a rare density of churches.

Above all, it is a university town. The University of Iași, the oldest modern university in Romania, gives the city a youthful energy you feel in its cafés, bookshops and central terraces.

• A former capital of Moldavia, with a compact historic centre
• City of the first university and the first national theatre
• A lively blend of Orthodox tradition and student life

The Palace of Culture

The city's emblem is the Palace of Culture, a monumental neo-Gothic building raised in the early 20th century on the site of the old princely court. Its clock tower dominates the skyline and remains the most photographed landmark in Iași.

Inside it now houses several museums — of history, art, ethnography and a museum of science and technology. The richly decorated halls are worth visiting for the architecture alone.

The Metropolitan Cathedral and the Three Hierarchs

The Metropolitan Cathedral is the largest Orthodox church in Romania, a vast neoclassical building with impressive interior paintings. It holds the relics of St Parascheva, the patron saint of Moldavia.

Every October the city hosts a huge pilgrimage for St Parascheva, when tens of thousands of the faithful travel to Iași from across the country. It is one of the largest religious events in Romania.

A short walk away stands the Three Hierarchs Monastery, a jewel of 17th-century Moldavian architecture. Its façade is covered entirely in fine, lace-like carved stone — a decoration without equal in the country.

• The Metropolitan Cathedral — the largest Orthodox church in Romania
• The relics of St Parascheva and the October pilgrimage
• Three Hierarchs — the lace-like carved stone façade

A city of churches and monasteries

Beyond the headline sights, Iași is scattered with old places of worship. Golia Monastery, with its tall tower offering views over the whole city and its fortress-like walls, is one of the loveliest.

The other churches in the centre are worth seeking out too, many of them princely foundations that preserve frescoes and gravestones hundreds of years old. An unhurried walk through the city becomes a lesson in history.

Copou and the Botanical Garden

At the top of Copou hill lies Copou Park, the oldest landscaped public park in Romania. Here grows Eminescu's linden tree, the old lime under which the poet is said to have written his verses — a place dear to any lover of literature.

Also on Copou is the Botanical Garden, the oldest and largest in the country, with glasshouses, a rose garden and shaded alleys, perfect for a quiet morning.

• Copou Park and Eminescu's linden tree
• The Botanical Garden — the oldest in Romania
• The student avenues and university campuses nearby

Cafés, books and the taste of Moldavia

Iași has a lively café scene, fuelled by thousands of students. You will find specialty coffee shops, bookshop-cafés and terraces where people read and talk for hours. It is the right city for a slow pace, with a book in front of you.

Moldavian cooking is generous and grounded: tochitură (a pork stew) with polenta, sarmale, sweet cheese pastries and, for dessert, cozonac. A glass of wine from the surrounding vineyards sits well alongside.

Around Iași — monasteries and the Cotnari vineyards

The city's surroundings are as rich as its centre. To the north-west stretches the Cotnari vineyard, one of the oldest and most renowned wine regions in Romania, famous for its white wines and local grape varieties.

The wider Moldavia region is full of monasteries and gentle rolling landscapes. Iași is also a natural gateway to Bucovina and its celebrated painted monasteries further west — a natural continuation of any journey through north-eastern Romania.

• The Cotnari vineyard — white wines and a long winemaking tradition
• The monasteries of the Moldavia region
• A gateway to Bucovina and its painted monasteries

Practical tips

When to go: late spring and early summer are ideal, as is September. October is spectacular but crowded because of the St Parascheva pilgrimage.

How many days: two days are enough for the historic centre, the palace and the churches. Three or more let you add a day at Cotnari or a trip toward Bucovina.

Getting there: Iași has an international airport, with links to cities in Romania and across Europe. The city is also well connected by rail and road to the rest of Moldavia.

• Best season: May–June and September
• Recommended length: 2–3 days, longer with the surroundings
• Access: international airport, train and road