According to wholevehicles, Iasi is one of the largest cities in Romania, the first mention of which dates back to 1408. The city is located between the Yassky Range and the Zhizhia Valley, in an area that has long been the intersection of the main trade routes, so the location of the city can be considered very advantageous in economic terms. It was the geographical position of Iasi that attracted numerous Jewish merchants here, who began to settle in Iasi from the second half of the 15th century and largely determined the fate and appearance of the city.
How to get there
Iasi is connected by direct rail links with Moscow, Sofia, Chisinau, Bucharest, Varna, Saratov, Rostov, Dnieper, Lvov, Kyiv, Burgas. The railway station is located in the city center, which is very convenient for tourists.
If you go from Bucharest, then you will have to spend 5-6 hours and no more than 20 EUR. There is an airport in the city, small, but having almost all the attributes of an international one: flights are operated here not only by Romanian airlines, but also from Vienna by Austrian Airlines.
A bit of history
Throughout the existence of the city, Jews constituted a significant, and since the 18th century, the predominant part of its population. By the end of the 19th century, Jewish bankers, moneylenders, jewelers, merchants forced the Greeks and Turks out of these areas of activity.
It was in Iasi that the first theater was created, the performances of which were exclusively in Yiddish and which laid the foundation for a professional Jewish theater.
More than once the city became the scene of dramatic events, the cause of which was interethnic problems. The years of the Second World War turned out to be especially rich in such events, when many Jewish citizens were killed or deported. Most of the survivors did not return to the city, preferring to emigrate to Israel.
Hotels
Hotels in the city will satisfy the demand of any traveler, both unpretentious and accustomed to elegant life. Often they offer conditions for symposium tourism: they are equipped with conference rooms with presentation equipment.
Cuisine and restaurants
City restaurants offer on the menu both fairly standard European food and Romanian dishes that are very interesting with unexpected ingredients. It is recommended to try typical Romanian soups: barsh (sour soup made from infusion of bran and cornmeal), chorbe (soup from kefir or kvass), soup with cumin.
City restaurants offer on the menu both fairly standard European food and Romanian dishes that are very interesting with unexpected ingredients.
Also unusual and typical for Romania is the tocitura dish with hominy: meat cooked in a specific way with liver and kidneys, served with corn porridge. A pleasant addition to any meal will be local wine, whose popularity in Europe is growing every year. In many restaurants you can listen to live music, and not only in the evening.
Shopping and shops
The city is also interesting for those who like to shop. The shopping center on the banks of the Bahlui River is attractive not only for its rather elegant architectural design, but also for the range of stores: many brands known all over the world are represented here, from the most expensive to quite democratic ones. For lovers of exotic shopping, there is such a wonderful place as Bazar, a flea market where you can buy colorful household items, jewelry, old books and engravings, and many of those amazing things that attract tourists to flea markets around the world. However, many of these things are made in China. Bazar is located under the bridge connecting Podu Ros and Nicolina.
Entertainment and attractions Yass
The city is famous for the oldest university in the country named after A. I. Cuza, which opened in 1860, and numerous higher educational institutions, and cultural institutions: opera and drama theatres, a philharmonic society, a conservatory. I must say that the city at one time was the capital, and even now plays an important role in the political and economic life of the country, is the most important cultural center of Romania. Many educational and cultural institutions were established here much earlier than in Bucharest. World-famous Romanian writers, poets and cultural figures lived and worked in Iasi: Mihai Eminescu, Mihai Sadoveanu, Mihai Codreanu.
Churches in Iasi
It is said that Iasi lies on seven hills, like the eternal city of Rome. Each hill is crowned with a church, from the bell tower of which a unique – literally – view opens up. The churches themselves are a wonderful architectural decoration of the city. The main attraction of Yass is the Church of the Three Hierarchs. An unusually beautiful architectural solution is complemented by an equally remarkable interior design, and the ornament carved from stone under the dome of the church is unique.
The museum collection of this temple contains many interesting and sometimes unexpected exhibits. So, it is here that you can see the printing house, created in 1640, it can still perform its functions.
The Metropolitane Church (19th century) is interesting not only as a historical and architectural monument, it bears the title of “mother of all Romanian churches.” Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (15th century) was the place of anointing of the Moldavian rulers. In total, there are more than fifty churches in Iasi, each of which has its own appearance, its own history.
Other attractions
The city itself is very diverse: old solid houses, typical for European buildings of the 19th century, modern buildings made of glass and concrete, ancient churches, numerous boulevards side by side here. In Iasi, there are ancient monasteries known in Romania, which have shrines important for the Romanian people: St. Spyridon, St. Sava, Barboy, Golia, Argesh. The symbol of the city is a palace with a tower equipped with bells. Their chime is carried over the city every hour.
