IASI. The Romanian Capital of Moldova

Culture, art, architecture, nature, wine and much more. This is the city of Iasi, the capital of Romanian Moldova.
Located in the northeast of Romania, in the region of Moldova, Iasi is one of the most important cities in the country and a cultural and historical symbol.
Like Rome, Iasi is also known as the "City of 7 Hills".
Iasi is located in the wine-growing region of Moldova, near the Cotnari winery, which I visited earlier.
A tour of Iasi could begin by admiring its spectacular architecture.
The symbol of Iasi is the Palace of Culture, an impressive building built on the ruins of the 14th-century Moldavian royal court.
The palace is built in neo-Gothic style, has 298 rooms, and an area of 35,000 square metres.
It currently houses a library and 4 museums.
The Museum of History
The Museum of Arts
Ethnographic Museum
Museum of Science and Technology
The city of Iasi is one of the most important religious centres in Eastern Europe.
It concentrates a large number of churches and monasteries that attract hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year.
Culture and art are an intrinsic part of Iasi, home to more than 30 museums, including Romania's oldest natural history museum.
Theatres, Philharmonic, Opera, Athenaeum, exhibition halls, libraries, and other cultural venues define this bohemian city.
Iasi is one of the most important university centres in the country, with 8 universities.
Among them, the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University, the oldest in Romania, opened in 1860.
There you will find the Hall of the Lost Steps, the longest corridor of an institution in Romania, at more than 120 metres.
It is decorated with murals by one of the most important contemporary Romanian painters: Sabin Balasa.
Two libraries are very important for the city, because of their prestige. The Central University Library is the oldest in the country.
The Technical University Library was chosen in 2015 as the most beautiful library in the world.
You can go to the Aula Magna "Carmen Sylva" from the library hall.
The National Theatre "Vasile Alecsandri" is the oldest theatre in the country, founded in 1840.
It is one of the most beautiful buildings in Romania, built in neoclassical style, with the interior decorated in rococo and baroque styles.
The Botanical Garden is, of course, the oldest in the country, opened in 1856.
It is one of the most attractive spots in the city, offering visitors different themes for every season of the year.
Iasi is also known as the "City of Lime Trees", the most famous of which is the "Eminescu Lime Tree" in Copou Park.
A lime tree more than 500 years old, under which Mihai Eminescu, the greatest Romanian poet, found his inspiration.
Dosoftei House or the Arched House was part of a 15th-century architectural complex.
Besides its architectural beauty, the building houses the Museum of Romanian Literature, where the oldest printed work on Romanian territory is exhibited: "Liturghier" (1508).
As a curiosity, Iasi was the birthplace of the first Romanian Nobel Prize winner, George Emil Palade, a cell biologist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1974.
Iasi is a city surrounded by wineries and vineyards and with a tempting offer of local and national wines.
There are excellent wines made from indigenous varieties, white, rosé and red.
With its shops, bars, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, pastry shops, shopping centers, and entertainment venues, Iasi attracts people from all over the region.
An effervescent, elegant city where classical and modern elements combine to create a harmony that surprises visitors.