Iasi Travel Guide

 Jetgirly Says:  The Barboi Church (or Barboi Monastery) is another religious landmark in Iasi. The current church was built in 1841 and apparently a fantastically-painted interior. Again, I say "apparently" because it too was closed for restoration when I visited. While I was able to stroll... 

 Jetgirly Says:  Golia Monastery is surrounded by tall, thick walls. In fact, I almost couldn't be bothered to find the entrance! However, I walked around to Str Cuza Voda and found an entrance at a high belfry tower (which used to serve as a vantage point for city firefighters). The... 

 Jetgirly Says:  Iasi's Natural History Museum is a treasure-trove of taxidermied animals. And stop. There's not much more to say (check out the seriously creepy seal in the attached photo). Oh, I could add that there's also a big model of a dinosaur. While visiting only takes about an hour,... 

 Jetgirly Says:  I think one of the coolest places in Iasi is Parc Piata Eminescu, which is a little park located beside Piata Mihai Eminescu. As I've previously noted, Iasi proudly celebrates its literary heritage. Parc Piata Eminescu is a reminder of that: a creative, picturesque park... 

 Jetgirly Says:  Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University) is the oldest university in Romania. It's alumni include Corneliu Codreanu, the founder of Romania's far-right fascist organization Iron Guard. The building's main hallway is known as the Hall of the Lost... 

 Jetgirly Says:  I think it's pretty impressive that Iasi is home not only to the Museum of Old Moldavian Literature, but a second museum of literature as well- the Pogor House Literary Museum (also known as the Romanian Literature Museum). They like their books! Located in the restored home... 

 Jetgirly Says:  Occupying a small park behind the Student Culture House is Voievodes Statuary. "Voievode" used to mean "lord" or "prince" in the language of early Moldavia, and today the Voievodes Statuary is home to a number of statues depicting the most important figures of the area's... 

 Jetgirly Says:  Dedicated to Saint Nicholas, Royal Saint Nicholas Church in Iasi is a quaint little church and the oldest church in the city that continues to occupy its original site (though it has been rebuilt twice). The interior is tiny, cool and peaceful, and there are a handful of... 

 Jetgirly Says:  I seriously had one of my most embarrassing moments ever at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Iasi. The Metropolitan Cathedral is the largest Orthodox Church in Romania, and as I happened to be walking down B-dul Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt I passed it and noticed a lot... 

 Jetgirly Says:  Marked by its street-level glass dome, Iasi's Hala Centrala (Central Market) is actually located below ground. Descend into the market and you'll find a veritable smorgasbord of Romanian specialties, from interesting produce to artisan cheeses. It's a great place to poke... 

 Jetgirly Says:  Located beside the Palace of Culture, the tiny Museum of Old Moldavian Literature is house in one of Iasi's oldest buildings (Casa Dosoftei). The building originally served as the headquarters of the bishop's printing services (back in the 1600s) and today visitors can... 

 Jetgirly Says:  Closed for renovations at the time of my visit, the Palace of Culture is Iasi's most recognizable edifice. It is normally home to four museums that, together, make up the Moldova National Museum Complex (not to be confused with the country Moldova): the Art Museum, the... 

 Jetgirly Says:  Located on the top floor of Hotel Unirea, Panoramic Restaurant has fantastic views of the historic center of Iasi. I dined there on my first evening in Iasi, and was totally amazed by the great service. Truly, in seven weeks on the road Panoramic Restaurant stands out for... 

 Dabs Says:  In one of the odder parts of our journey with our guide, we drove to this monastery on one of the back roads from the main road. We did not visit the interior of the monastery, instead we were taken up to an open balcony at the complex across from the monastery to visit with...