Iasi

Iasi General Information

Location: North-Eastern Romania
Size: 97 sq km
Population: circa 271.000 (third largest city after Bucharest and Cluj)
Distance from Bucharest: 390 km 

Iasi is the most important political, economic and cultural centre of the province of Moldova as well as one of the oldest cities in Romania. Located in the northeastern part of the country, Iasi was for many centuries the crossing point of the most important commercial routes linking Poland, Hungary, Russia and Constantinople.

Deeply rooted in history, Iasi has been the main centre of Moldavian culture since 1408. The city prides itself with publishing the first Romanian newspaper and establishing the first Romanian university. Today, Iasi is home to five universities. With over 600 years of existence, Iasi is a city of cultural and educational national premieres, an important IT and Outsourcing business hub, one of the biggest education centres in Romania.

Over the past 500 years, history, culture and religious life have molded the city's unique character. Iasi boasts an impressive number of Orthodox churches, almost 100, most of them located in the so-called Golden Plateau. The oldest, the Princely Saint Nicholas Church, dates from the reign of Stephen the Great (Stefan cel Mare, 1457-1504). The finest, however, are the 17th century St. Paraschiva Metropolitan Cathedral and Trei Ierarhi Church, the last a curious example of Byzantine art. Its outer walls and twin towers are intricately carved in what many think of as stone lace.

Iasi is among the very few cities in the Orthodox world with more than 100 churches.

In 1565, Iasi became the capital of Moldova and for a short period of time, from 1859 until 1862, the capital of Romania, because along the years it had a great prestige and role into romanian history.

Touristically speaking, Iasi is a good starting point for travels around the romanian region of Moldova but also the Republic of Moldova, since it's a 3hours drive away from Chisinau. Here you will find a totally different vibe than Bucharest or the cities of Transylvania! The moldavian essence spirit is different and will charm you with special gastronomic specialties, great spiritual and artistical practices! Almost everything in this region is based off art or religion, two attributes that matter a lot for people of Romania. 

The Golden Plateau represents the nucleus of the city, around which the entire settlement developed over the centuries. With the Palace of Culture at one end and the Union Square (Piata Unirii) at the other, the Golden Plateau features churches and princely palaces on both sides of Stefan cel Mare si Sfant Boulevard, which runs right through its centre. The Palace of Culture hosts several museums. Iasi is a great place to visit while you stop in Moldova on your way to the UNESCO heritage churches and monasteries that are to be found around here - places full of culture and spirituality!