Iasi travel guide

1. Palas ensemble

The address is 7A Palas Street.

The most popular landmark of Iasi is Palas Mall, a large shopping center open daily from 10 am to 10 pm, with hundreds of shops, restaurants, cafes, food court, hypermarket, offices, halls, the largest parking lot in the country and, most importantly, a park of over 50,000 square meters - the Palas Public Garden.

The park includes a skating rink, an amphitheater, a lake, it is a predominantly open space, built on terraces, with a magnificent view of the Palace of Culture, as it is located right behind it and below its level, and on some large stairs, you can climb to the viewpoint overlooking the park, right next to the grandiose palace.

The Palas Ensemble website is http://www.palasmall.ro/.

You guessed it! Next Palace of Culture.

2. Palace of Culture

Address: 1 Stefan cel Mare Square

Open: Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm

Price: 40 lei

Palace of Culture was built in neo-Gothic style between 1906 and 1925 and inaugurated by King Ferdinand I. The architect is Romanian Berindei, who also fireproofed the bridge with eternite, a special material.

In the central hall there is a mosaic in which are arranged concentrically Gothic symbols such as the eagle, the dragon, the lion. The decoration of some of the rooms is made of a material patented by Henri Coandă, called bois-ciment, which imitates oak wood.

The Palace currently hosts Moldova National Museum Complex - Iasi. Among the famous halls are the Voievozilor Hall, Henri Coandă Hall. In the palace building you can visit the Museum of History of Moldova, the Museum of Ethnography of Moldova and the Stefan Procopiu Museum of Art and Museum of Science and Technology.

In front of the Palace is Equestrian statue of Stephen the Great, realized in Paris after the sketches of Gheorghe Asachi. In the flanks are posted 2 Krupp cannons donated by King Carol I, trophies from the War of Independence.

The Palace of Culture website is https://palatulculturii.ro/.

3. Dosoftei House

Address: 54 Anastasie Panu Street

Open: Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm

Price: 3 lei

Next to the Statue of Stephen the Great we see Dosoftei House built in the 17th century. Metropolitan Dosoftei installed here the second printing press in Moldova. The house has two facades, arched and rectangular windows, an open porch, high columns and peasant gazebos. Near the house we can see the statue of Dosoftei, an important scholar of Moldavia.

4. "St. Nicholas Domnesc" Church

Address: Palace Square

Open: daily from 8am - 6pm, Fridays and Sundays open at 7am

The neighbor of the Dosoftei House is a beautiful Orthodox church - "St. Nicholas Domnesc" Church, built by Stephen the Great in the 15th century.

The church website is https://www.facebook.com/sfnicolaedomnesc/.

We cross the Palace Street and head perpendicular to the direction of the Palace of Culture, on Stefan cel Mare Boulevard, entering the pedestrian promenade, flanked by many spectacular sights. We enter through a wooden gate. In the very nicely landscaped area, paved with cubic stone, there are terraces, houses, stands. On the left is the Gheorghe Asachi School building and the bust of this "first teacher".

5. Monastery "St. Three Hierarchs"

Address: 28 Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard

Open: daily from 6am - 9pm, Sundays open at 7:30am

Church of the Three Hierarchs It is located on the left side of the pedestrian area in our direction of travel, on the former "Uliță Domnească", between the Palace of Culture and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Specific to this edifice of worship are the 30 bands of stone embroidery of the exterior walls.

The "Trisfetițelor" church was built by the voivode Vasile Lupu in the 17th century as a royal necropolis. The lakeside was consecrated by Metropolitan Varlaam and a few days later the relics of St. Parascheva were brought here, to which large pilgrimages are organized annually on October 14. The church is of Orthodox rite and is dedicated to the three hierarchs Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John the Golden Mouth. Here is also Three Hierarchs Monastery Museum, which can be visited from Friday to Sunday between 12:30 and 18:30; admission costs 5 lei. The famous Gothic Hall.

A printing press also functioned here. In the courtyard of the monastery is bust of Eminescu.

The monastery website is https://sfintiitreiierarhi.mmb.ro/.

6. Roman Catholic Cathedral

Address: 26 Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard

Roman Catholic Cathedral in Iași is part of Roman Catholic Diocese. It is called St. Virgin Mary, Queen. In front of the cathedral is an oval-shaped courtyard. Here you can visit the Anton Durcovici Museum.

7. Orthodox Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral

Address: 16 Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard

Metropolitan Ensemble includes the Cathedral, the Residence and the Museum. Orthodox Metropolitan Orthodox Cathedral presents a spectacular mosaic in the church. The residence is to the left of the church, set back from the street. The Metropolitan Museum is behind the cathedral. There is also a church shop with bookstore in the courtyard. The Cathedral is opposite the Theater and the Town Hall.

8. Roznovanu Palace / City Hall

Address: 11 Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard

Roznovanu Palace is built in the neoclassical architectural style in the 18th century. It was the residence of the politician Roznovanu. During the First World War it hosted the refugee leadership from Bucharest. In the then office of King Ferdinand I is today the mayor's office, in fact the building now houses the City Hall. In front of it is the Statue of Ferdinand I.

9. "Vasile Alecsandri" National Theater

Address: 18, Agatha Bârsescu str.

Open: from 12 - 17, closed on Wednesdays and Sundays

Even if the address is the one mentioned above, we see the front of the theater on Stefan cel Mare Boulevard, placed opposite the Orthodox Cathedral. The building is very secluded with a park in front of it, National Theater Parkthen we cross the street on which the building is located and in front of it we admire the Statue of Vasile Alecsandri, the poet giving the name to the theater in Iasi. In the same building also operates Romanian National Opera, which also has a side entrance, where we will continue if you want to visit the sights that are not located in the city center.

The theater's website is https://teatrulnationaliasi.ro/.

10. Moldova State Philharmonic

Address: 29 Cuza Voda Street.

It is open Monday to Thursday from 8am to 4pm, Friday from 8am to 2pm.

We have to get behind the theater and the opera house where there is a path with a tram line.

The Romanian Philharmonic Society of Iasi was founded in the 19th century with the aim of establishing professional musical ensembles. In the 20th century the George Enescu Philharmonic was founded, the master leaving his mark on the musical life of Iasi. The current concert hall was inaugurated in 1957. The Voces Quartet became the permanent ensemble of this philharmonic, later the Ad libitum string quartet. Slowly but steadily it is making a name for itself. Here the well-known record label Electrecord made several recordings. Today the repertoire State Philharmonic of Moldova covers works from classical to contemporary. In 2015 the musical institution from Iasi was decorated by Princess Margareta with the Order of the Cross of the Royal House of Romania.

The philharmonic website is https://www.filarmonicais.ro/index.php/ro/.

11. Monastery and Goliath Tower

Address: 51 Cuza Voda Street

We follow the street where the Philharmonic is located to the right and we can reach the The walls of Goliath. I followed the walls on the 2 flanks of the Goliath Monastery Historical Monument Complex to admire the grandeur of this fortification with its five towers rising above the walls Golia Monastery. There is also an archive. Goliath Tower, also a tourist landmark, is on the flank of Cuza Voda street. In the courtyard you can find the St.

The ensemble's website is https://www.golia.ro/.

12. Barboi Monastery

Address: 12 Bărboi Street

Here I arrive guided by Google Maps after only 300 meters, moving diagonally and to the right of the Goliath Tower.

The monastery church is of Orthodox rite and is dedicated to St. Apostles Peter and Paul. The first church on this place was built in the 17th century by Ioan Barboi, and the present one in the 19th century by the great logophat Sturdza. The church has 5 spires and the floor is made of Carara marble. The interior is frescoed in Renaissance style. The monastery has a beautiful and well-kept courtyard.

The monastery website is https://barboi.mmb.ro/.

From now on we start to make a few more steps between objectives with the mention that you can skip the next objective presented by me.

13. The Bojdeuca / "Ion Creangă" Museum

Address: 4 Simion Bărnuțiu Street

It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10-17.

2 kilometers are from Barboi Monastery. Although it was closed for renovation at the time of my report, I for one couldn't skip this objective, at least to repeat it.

The Ion Creangă Guild is the first literary museum in the country, inaugurated in 1918. The house has 2 rooms. The great writer lived here and here he wrote his priceless "Childhood Memories". Creanga also temporarily hosted Eminescu in the bojdeuca, as he called the little house. The museum preserves many of the writer's objects. The house is located in the Țicău neighborhood.

Further information can be found at https://www.muzeulliteraturiiiasi.ro/muzeul-ion-creanga-bojdeuca/.

14. "Vasile Pogor" Museum

Address: 4 Vasile Pogor Street

Open: Tuesday - Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm

Price: 10 lei

1 km walk from Bojdeuca guided by Google Maps on shortcuts. "Vasile Pogor" House is the seat of the museum of the same name, a museum of Romanian literature focused in particular on the period of the "Junimii". The house was built in the 19th century by Pogor, a local squire. This was the meeting place for members of the "Junimii" and later the "Convorbirilor Literare". It is also called Junimii House. Titu Maiorescu, Mihai Eminescu, Ion Creanga, Ion Luca Caragiale, Ion Slavici, Vasile Alecsandri have passed through here. In front of the house is a generous courtyard.

Further information can be found at https://www.muzeulliteraturiiiasi.ro/muzeul-vasile-pogor-casa-junimii/.

15. Voievozilor Park and Mihai Eminescu Statue

Address: boulevard Carol I, open non-stop.

Opposite Casa Pogor is Park of the Voievozilor in which we admire Maternity Homage statuary group and the Children's Palace and the impressive group of statues of the rulersand towards the big intersection is the Children's Park. These parks are flanked by a very busy boulevard, with a tram line in the middle, going up to Copou Hill. It is the Carol I Boulevard.

Near the big intersection, between the lanes, there is a very tall statue, statue of Mihai Eminescu.

16. Mihai Eminescu Central University Library and "King Ferdinand I" National Military Museum

Address: 4 Păcurari Street, intersection with Carol I Boulevard

On the downhill side of the boulevard Carol I, right at the intersection, you will find Mihai Eminescu Central University Library, the oldest university library in the country, operating since the 19th century. After World War II it moved to its present address in the King Ferdinand I University Foundationas we read on its frontispiece. Junimea Publishing House.

From here I plan to go up to Copou, distance 1 km. We go up on the downward direction of the cars and pass by a small museum partially organized outside: King Ferdinand I National Military Museum Iasi, where several artillery pieces are on display.

17. Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

It is located at 5 - 7 Carol I Boulevard and can be visited from Monday to Friday between 9 - 15:45.

Next is a busy tram stop, it's the one next to a real palace: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University and the Copou University Palace inaugurated in 1897 in the presence of King Carol I, Prime Minister Dimitrie Sturdza and Minister Spiru Haret. Alexandru Ioan Cuza University is the most famous in Moldova. Here you can find faculties of law, history, literature, physics, economics and business administration. Inside the university is a tourist attraction called Hall of Lost Footsteps or the Sabin Bălașa Fresco Gallery. The University is flanked by statues of personalities such as Garabet Ibrăileanu, Radu Cernătescu, Spiru Haret, Mihai David, located on the Alley of Academic Personalities, in front are the statues of Xenopol and Mihai Kogălniceanu, and Titu Maiorescu Park on the other side is the statue of Titu Maiorescu.

The university's website is https://www.uaic.ro/.

One more station and we're at

18. Copou Park or Garden

Address: 31, Carol I Boulevard

Open: non-stop, no access fee.

Copou Park or Garden is the oldest park in Iasi, it covers 10 hectares and is a public garden. It is located on Copou Hill. It is landscaped with paths, benches, very diverse trees such as linden, ash, maple, yew, spruce, shrubs such as forsythia, jasmine, lilac, as if it were a botanical garden. In such a habitat, the squirrels enjoy themselves, which in turn enjoy passers-by. In one corner of the garden is Lake of Wishes.

The park was laid out in the 19th century under the reign of Mihail Sturza. In the center of the park there are a few sights where visitors can go to, for example the alley with busts of Romanian writers, including Grigore Vieru, Gheorgeh Pănăițeanu, George Topârceanu. In the center is Obelisk of the Lions, built according to Gheorghe Asachi's plan, and next to it an old and protected tree, Eminescu's Linden. In the park is also Mihai Eminescu Museum.

19. Evening on the streets of Iasi

From Copou Park we can go 2 km back down bd. Ferdinand I and going only before reaching the Union Square, which continues with the Boulevard Stefan cel Mare și Sfânt, at the beginning accessible also to cars, until the pedestrian area full of tourist highlights of Iasi, as I described it at the beginning of the proposed walk. I chose to walk up to the Union Square along the more back streets (ulițe as they are known) and discovered some more beautiful buildings or took pictures of Iași in the evening, going down the stone stairs.

20. Union Square / Union Museum

In Union Square where besides Union Museum is the old Hotel Unirea, I also found a bright arrangement.

The address is 14 Alexandru Lăpușneanu Street. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday between 10-17.

Building Union Museum is a historical monument. It was built between 1800 and 1806 in neoclassical style. The house was the residence of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza and King Ferdinand I. The Unirii Museum presents a valuable heritage of modern history.

Museum website https://palatulculturii.ro/muzeul-unirii/.

21. Evening on Stefan cel Mare Boulevard

On bd. Stefan cel Mare si Sfant on my way I discovered the point called "La Cub" Square, where it is installed Green Cube.

I thoroughly enjoyed this walk which ended near Palace of Cultureat Palas Mall, where we started it. Gorgeous evening lap on the streets of Iasi.