✈️ TLV to Iasi (IAS)
Romania
Iasi
CityIAS
IATA1794.4 km
Distance2h 45m
Flight TimeCoordinates: 47.1785, 27.6206
Airlines:
About Iasi
Weather in Iasi
Understand
Iaşi is in northeastern Romania , and very close to the border with Republic of Moldova , from which Romania is divided by Prut River. The city is positioned on the Bahlui River, affluent of Jijia that flows into the Prut River, Iaşi is the "legendary city of the seven hills", namely Cetățuia, Galata, Copou, Bucium, Șorogari, Repedea and Breazu, just like so many cities around world, one such example being Rome . Some of these hills have conspicuous churches perched on top, each of which provides a different view of the city. Iaşi looks green from above in spite of the ubiquitous brick and concrete due to its boulevards and gardens. Ancient churches, old European style houses and communist apartment buildings compete for space in this crowded city, which is constantly expanding into the surrounding villages; the urban rush of communism replaced houses, pigs, chickens, and cherry trees with apartment buildings. The land was confiscated from the peasants and they received apartments as compensation in the newly created common living spots. Factories sprung around the intensive urban effort, organized together in the industrial zone, only to be abandoned two generations later with the fall of the regime which gave them and the nation purpose. Like all communities in the former Soviet bloc, Iaşi had to reinvent itself in 1989. Tourism in the city takes place around its heritage of archaeological sites, memorial houses, museums and historical and architectural monuments. Moreover, the folkloric and ethnographic heritage, the nature protection areas, natural mineral waters, and the vineyards in the surrounding countryside remain to be discovered. The city is on the border to Europe's poorest country and you may think that this location is shown off in the city. That is though wrong. Although the borough is very poor and that you will see horse carriage the outskirts of the city, the center is undergoing a renaissance. A mall has been opened and sidewalks and houses have been renovated. On top of that, the thriving student community puts a young and trendy atmosphere as in any other European student city. Tourism Information Center Iaşi , turism.iasi@gmail.com . The staff there is knowledgeable about the city, with a wealth of information ready about monuments, places to visit, places to eat, accommodations, busses, and trains programs, etc.
Climate
The local climate is continental with minimal rainfall and with large temperature differences between the seasons. Summer is hot and it lasts from the end of the month of May up to the half of September. Autumn is a short season, of transition. In the second half of November there is usually frost and snow. Winter is a freezing season with temperatures dropping to –20°C.
See
National Theatre "Vasile Alecsandri" – With an exceptional interior designed by one of the most popular architects from Vienna at the beginning of the 19th century. 47.15739 27.58695 1 Palace of Culture , Piata Stefan cel Mare si Sfant nr.1 , ☏ +40 232 275 979 , contact@palatulculturii.ro . Tu-Su 10:00-17:00 . A giant obvious monument that the locals take for granted but which is striking to visitors. It comprises the Art Museum, Moldavia's History Museum, Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia, and "Ștefan Procopiu" Science and Technique Museum. It also houses several infrequently visited museums, including a musical instrument museum and a "village" museum with ethnic outfits. ( updated Apr 2017 ) 47.159031 27.586888 2 Casa Dosoftei , Anastasie Panu Str , ☏ +40 747 499 403 . Tu-Su 10:00-17:00 . Next to the Palace of Culture is a little stone house named after the scholar and metropolite ("archbishop") of Moldavia Dosoftei (1624-1693). He was one of the first to use the Romanian language for poetry and in the church and the house contains a small museum showing early manuscripts, prints and printing presses (no English signs). 3 lei . ( updated Apr 2017 ) Bulevardul Stefan Cel Mare (si Sfint) (Steven the Great ((and the Holy)) Boulevard) – Along it you will find the Metropolitan Church, the Trei Ierarhi Church, the Palace of Culture and the National Theatre. If you go on this boulevard in the winter, you will find an impressive set of light decorations. Part of the boulevard is closed to traffic nowadays. On Sundays, the National Theatre park fills up with icons and naïve paintings, which one can buy for rather small prices. Bulevardul Copou (Copou Boulevard) – Copou is a large hill in Iaşi, which contains a university, a botanical garden and many old, fancy houses. Rose bushes line its sides, and there are many parks and old trees scattered between the buildings. It is a popular place to go for a walk, and for locals it is considered the rich area. Head onto the side streets for the quietest, serenest part of Iaşi. Copou Park – This tame, bench- and rosebush-laden park is a popular destination for youth in heat and the contemplative elderly. It is a pretty park, and you should not put your feet on the benches (you might get fined). There are several large bushes through which you can walk, and an extremely old linden tree held up by metal bars . Linden trees are well appreciated in Iaşi, and this particular tree is the most famous because the beloved Romanian poet Mihai Eminescu allegedly wrote poems in its inspirational shade. In front of this linden tree, there are two large patches of bright blue forget-me-not flowers. Botanical Garden – The botanical garden is high up on Copou hill, and it is a popular summer getaway. In the fall, the walnut trees drop walnuts which you can eat, and some people go to the garden to find these. Sala Pasilor Pierduti (the Hall of the Lost Steps) – The Al. I. Cuza university in Copou houses an exquisite hallway, in which you can get lost in poetic reverie. The hallway is empty, long and narrow, and its walls are covered with large paintings that allude to T.S. Eliot's "Wasteland" and have an intensely epic, allegorical and dreamy character. A lonely guardwatch protects the hallway, and the door is heavy, with small windows that let the light trickle in through dust. It is a lonely place, yet while school is in season it is tread by thousands of steps every day, which only make it lonelier. You might also want to explore the rest of the building. A piece of advice: freeing your mind from the confines of Euclidean geometry will not make it any easier to find your way through the place, but you will feel less frustrated when you find out you have changed floors just by crossing a seemingly level hallway. The classrooms use both the Arab and the Roman numbering system, which makes it hell when you are late for an exam, and learned men all agree that the third floor disappears during full moon. You have been warned. The Catacombs . This network of tunnels was built hundreds of years ago for military purposes, and connects several strategic points of Iaşi, including some monasteries. It is unknown to most visitors and indeed to many locals, but will soon be opened for tourism. The entrance will be in front of Hala Centrala (see entry under shopping), but as of April 2010, this is still a construction site. In the mean time, you may be able to get a glimpse of the old tunnels if you pay a visit to Casa Bolta Rece (see entry under eating).
Do
Football: Politehnica Iași were relegated in 2025 and play soccer in Liga 2, the second tier. Their Emil Alexandrescu Stadium (capacity 11,400) is 3 km north of town centre, on the tram route. Releu (an ancient sea bed) – It refers to a large antenna in general, but in Iaşi there is a particular one which you will be directed to if you ask locals. The Releu is a popular picnic spot , and offers a gorgeous view of the city. It is in a strange area, which is half village, half French Riviera; This means that peasants, cows, chickens and dogs still live here, but that some of the properties are being bought by rich Europeans and converted into villas. The two ways to get to the Releu are by maxi-taxi and by taxi. The taxi or maxi-taxi will leave you at the edge of the street, and you will probably feel like you are in full blown countryside. Look for the giant antenna, and go to its base. You will have to walk on dirt roads, but it is pretty. From the antenna, look around, and you should be able to find a crevasse (it is really rather large, like a semicircular cut in the hillside). You can see some caverns dug into the side of the hill. Go down into the semicircular cut (it is an easy walk) and go up to the wall. You can see many shells and remains of a calcarous ancient sea bed which used to cover the entire area. If you are adventurous, you can find caves in the area, some of which are quite large. There are ancient legends that tell of the locals running away from invaders in these caves and sheltering their riches. Most of the locals believe the caves to be fictitious, but they do really exist. Bucium Hill – There is a lookout point with a really good view towards the city. Some people drive there at night to take a look at the panorama, while the car windows get steamy. Explore abandoned communist factories – Iaşi was a burgeoning industrial center of the communist era. The communist ideal revolved around self-sufficiency, so everything (except for oil and the like) that needed to be used in Iaşi was made in Iaşi. The city's outskirts are dominated by an immense industrial zone, in which more than 90% of the factories have become abandoned. When the communist regime fell, these factories closed one by one, succumbing to foreign competition and internal political chaos. What is left are hundreds of factories, buildings, warehouses and fields which are completely abandoned, overrun with shrubbery, begging for exploration. It is unique, amazing and wild, and will not last long. With the European Union's accelerating economic involvement in Romania and the increasing price of land in the city, the industrial wasteland will soon be cleaned up and taken under control by the overzealous and bored Romanian policemen. You can get there by asking which way is the "zona industriala". If you are in "Podu Ros" walk towards "Tesatura", away from downtown. As you walk you will pass the electrical power plant. You can also take tram number 1 from Podu Ros and get off at the very end (make sure it is not going towards Copou). At the end of the tram line, walk around, because you have entered the largest communist wasteland around Iaşi. There are other abandoned factories, but this is the largest concentration. Another extremely large abandoned factory is C.U.G., and used to produce large industrial equipment. It is at the end of bus lines 9 and 41, next to "Frumoasa". If you take the train to come into Iaşi, you will probably go by this factory for a very long time. C.U.G. is not completely abandoned, so you should be careful, but it also probably has the most impressive warehouses and heavy machinery. Try to imagine how in the 1980s these places were the workplaces of most of the inhabitants of Iaşi. Many people moved from the countryside to the city to work in these factories. Visit any factory you are allowed to – Admission has been denied, but the situation changes frequently. If you are lucky, you could visit the clothing and shoe-making factory (at the Tesatura intersection, next to Podu Ros towards the industrial zone), the sewage treatment plant, the bread and pasta factory (the pasta more or less drips from a balcony onto an assembly line below). Go swim in the locals' dippin' spots – In the summer, Iaşi experiences extreme droughts and relentless heat, so the locals escape to swimming holes. The most popular one was the "Ştrand", which was an outdoor swimming pool in the middle of the city. The pool has been relocated as a big real estate project called Palas started to be built in the area. Some people also swim in the Ciric and Venetia lakes and river which lie north of the city. These are lakes, not swimming pools; there is no lifeguard, but there also are no rules. Check the bottom depth before taking a plunge. Also, the water is full of strange microorganisms and who knows what else... the local kids seem to be all right, but two-headed fish have been seen in the Ciric lake more than once. You can also swim in the botanical garden, in the pool at the bottom of the hill. There is a new "Ştrand" on the "Cicoarei" street (just ask the locals for it). It is well fitted and quite a popular place for summer bathing. There are also some hotels which have smaller swimming pools available to the public (Hotel Capitol, Motel Bucium, etc.) The lakes mentioned above are not really safe. A few people get drowned every year and some get eye or skin conditions from the dirty water. [dead link] Aerial Sightseeing Flight , Airport , ☏ +40 752 040214 . From sunrise to sunset . Spectacular and memorable experiences. With the qualified and experienced pilots you can get a bird's-eye view of Iaşi city and the area's beautiful hills and lakes or if you always dreamed of being in the cockpit, start flight training.
Buy
The area near Piaţa Unirii is a general shopping area with the usual selection of stores. If you are looking for something to read, there are two bookstores in Piata Unirii, in the center. Junimea has several books in French, while Librăria Humanitas has some books in English. Second-hand shops – All around the city. As the economic crisis hit Iaşi, the number of second-hand clothing shops has skyrocketed, as one of the few profitable businesses in times of economic hardship. You will find really good bargains for some hippy clothes, antiquities, sport equipment. A lot of young locals prefer them to shopping malls, because you may find really quality stuff at affordable prices. Most of these clothes come in big shipments from western countries. You will be surprised maybe to find items your parents would be wearing in their youth. Check the traditional open markets ("Piaţa Nicolina", "Piaţa Alexandru", "Piaţa Păcurari") – They are open daily. You'll find fresh local products, healthier than the ones in supermarkets, and usually at better prices too. You may find peculiar the offer of the sellers from the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, who bring their products there. The Bazaar – This is a purchasing junkyard, curiously popular with the locals. Most of the stuff sold here is reminiscent of the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and is probably produced in the same Chinese factories. The Bazar is underneath the land bridge which connects Podu Ros to Nicolina. You can find jeans, sneakers, plastic toys and trinkets of all varieties here. Iulius Mall – Go to "the mall"! Close to Podu Ros, along the Bahlui river. This mall is rather elegant, and houses several eateries which are European-priced and far from traditional Romanian food, but if you are out to spend money this is as good a place as any. It is also the place to go to the movies, with the exception of kids' movies, foreign movies are usually shown subtitled with original audio. Carrefour / Felicia – The Felicia Mall is smaller and less elegant than Iulius and offers little in the way of dining. However, it contains a Carrefour "hypermarket" which is convenient if you are looking for a one-stop shop for electronics, clothes, food and everything else. It is about as Romanian as a McDonald's, but nicely illustrates the near-future total westernization of the Romanian economy. Ask the taxi driver to go to "Carrefour". The "old malls" Moldova Center and Hala Centrala – In the center close to the Cultural Palace. They are not as big or modern as "the mall" (Iulius), but may be a bit cheaper. They both date back to communist times, but have been heavily renovated. One feature typical of the era is the open circular subterrain marketplace in front of Hala Centrala, where you can still buy local food from the producers. Other marketplaces exist around town, but this is the easiest to find. On various holidays and other occasions, tent stalls pop up outside Hala Centrala selling goods or acting as bars. Era Shopping Park ( Carrefour Era Pacurari ), Pacurari str, no. 121 ( west side of the town ). Similar to Felicia. Contains lots of boutiques of all sorts, a Carrefour supermarket, an electronics shop, a little food court, etc. Outside there is a carting track. 47.156374 27.589174 1 Palas Iaşi . This is a multi-functional building project that opened in May 2012. It houses 6 office buildings, a 4 star hotel, 1 retail mall, a shopping street, underground parking and a public garden (with a small lake and amphitheater). It is right behind the "Palace of Culture", so it is hard to miss.
Eat
Pizza Pazzo , Bd. Tudor Vladimirescu . Nice atmosphere and Italian cuisine in the student district of Tudor Vladimirescu. Reservation might be necessary as the place is vivid and full of customers almost every evening. Occasionally you might get lucky to try their lasagna, although a parmigiana plate is also a good choice beside pizza. Serve with draught beer and be there with friends. Phenicia , Str. Sulfinei, nr. 13 . Lebanese restaurant with moderate prices. This would be the place you would want to make a nice impression by getting out to an exotic cuisine, though Lebanese might not be that rich in options. La Gara , Main Train Station . There are few small shops that sell cheap fast food for after-party snacks. They will fill in your empty stomach and you will be ready to continue partying in one of the bars in the center. Warda , Strada Sfântul Teodor . A traditional Lebanese Kebab Shop close to the "Gr.T. Popa" University of Medicine and Farmaceutics. It is a famous kebab place in town with a very friendly staff. Cucina Casalinga , Costache Negri nr.60 . Italian restaurant with very good pastas and pizzas, behind Moldova Mall shopping center. Prices are mid-range to splurge. No credit cards. Aad's Place , Str Oastei nr 40, in Complex Comercial Super Copou . Daily 10:00-00:00 . Restaurant and fast food with Dutch specific, in the Super Copou complex close to M. Eminescu Park. They serve good Dutch pancakes either salted or sweet and are non-smokers friendly. Belvedere , Sos. Bucium 103A . Small cozy restaurant with a lovely terrace on the exit to Vaslui. Food is good and prices are budget to mid-range. Occasionally you will be disappointed that the kitchen is closed. No credit cards. Restaurant Bar Baron (Str. Sfantu Lazar 52) – It is beyond the Culture Palace. You have to walk for a while, but the pub is very nice and they serve good beer and good food for reasonable prices. You may want to give this place a miss unless you want to be in the company of some very dodgy local characters. There are plenty of decent nosheries in the center of the town, no need to stray this far for utterly forgettable food and bad company. Restaurant Monte Carlo (Fd. Codrescu 5, near the Al. I. Cuza University) – A quiet, not very well-known restaurant with a lovely ambiance, serving international and traditional food for reasonable prices. Casa Bolta Rece , Str. Rece 10 ( taxi drivers know the place ), ☏ +40 232 212 255 . This very old restaurant (est. 1789) offers classical Romanian food of good quality in a historical location. It is named after its cool cellar ( bolta rece ) where the famous poet Mihai Eminescu and other artists and intellectuals hung out when Iaşi was the center of the Romanian awakening. Today you have the choice between the cellar, the ground floor and an outdoor half-covered terrace. You may find traditional live musicians working the restaurant. If you are interested in a unique glimpse of the catacombs beneath the building, the staff may show you if you ask. The staff may know very little English. Prices are mid to high range. Palas Mall , Palas No.7A Street , ☏ +40-232 209 920 . 10:00-00:00 . The mall has various restaurants and coffee shops and also a more affordable foodcourt. Most restaurants have a business lunch offer for lunch on weekdays (due to the high number of office buildings in the area). Most coffee shops open earlier than the rest of the mall. Also, there is an Auchan supermarket. ( updated Feb 2018 )
Drink
Iaşi is famous for its nightlife. If you go towards the University you will find a lot of students wondering around or having a beer. There are a lot of bars, coffee shops and pubs where you can chill, have a drink, or watch a game. Most popular discos and clubs are full until morning during University periods. Check out the discos "Skye", "Skin", "Master", "Code" and "Viper" even though there are much more that are popular. You can find a lot of bars in front of the "Copou Park", as there are a lot of student housing there and is only natural there are a lot of leisure places. These bars usually are mainstream with popular music you can hear on the radio. Sometimes they have karaoke nights during the week. There are bars almost everywhere, but most of them are places you will not have a nice experience as they are only for extremely loyal locals and such they have not invested much into the decoration or the experience. You will need to go to more central or student areas to get a more enjoyable experience. Also, if you just need to get a quick drink, you can always get into the many pizza restaurants you will definitely see, as the prices are the same. Most of these bars will have a Facebook page so feel free to add them and check out what they have planned for the future days. You can also get contact details there and friendly staff that will answer to any of your questions. You can also make reservations. Sage – A place you do not want to miss. It is in the old "Mihai Eminescu Library" building and it has lots of tea assortments from all over the world. There is also newspapers and books you can read, a piano and social games that you can borrow for free. The personnel also speaks English and, when the owner is in, people have been known to get freebies. Very nice atmosphere. Curtea Berarilor / Baza / Underground / Taverna / The Gate / Hand (Bulevardul Stefan cel Mare si Sfant nr. 10, bl. B1-B2) / la CUB (Catacombe) – All student bars in the city center, next to the green "cube" (modern statue). They are perfect for a bar crawl (or at least some, depending on music taste) since they are literally next door to each other. They all stand out in the Iaşi night scene as they only play modern rock music, indie, dubstep, alternative rock and heavy metal (the first bar mostly pop-rock and folk and the last one heavy metal, the rest something in between). During the week they have a lot of concerts from local bands or karaoke nights, during the weekends everybody just dances. These bars are a favorite hang-out for Erasmus students as they offer a diverse music genre and are very cultural friendly. Beer is 4-5 lei, cocktails 10 lei, shots 30 ml 5-6 lei. Mojo (Str. Cuza Voda, Nr. 30-32) – Close to the National Theatre, indie and alternative rock music, they sometimes host LGBT parties for the local community. Its sign is the "tree of life", be careful as there is only a door with stairs going downwards, easy to miss. Check the website for a more detailed map. Acaju (Str. Sf.Sava, nr 15) – From the National Theatre, make a right and when you get to the parking lot make a left. Walk for 2 minutes and you will find this bar (a couple of more houses far from the other bars you will find on the way). This is a very friendly bar with all sorts of music, from jazz to dubstep. They have a strong community along with some of the local NGOs that occasionally will have different activities as: "Slow food" (home cooked food served to everyone), "Papergirl" (customers will be invited to draw on paper) and so on. This is a neighborhood made of houses or small buildings, it might look deserted and unfriendly but it's very safe to go to this bar. If you feel like wondering around afterwards, just go back where you came to the big boulevards where there is more people. Nothing can happen to you, just nasty beggars that will not leave you alone. Beer 4-5 lei, cocktails 10-15 lei Brain (Str. Gandu 6) – From "Union Plaza" ("Piața Unirii"), if you walk towards the train station, take the first left and you will find this modernist bar that will appeal to electro-music fans. Everything from electro to IDM and a lot of concerts with crazy visuals. They also have a non-smoking room upstairs where they will mostly have project documentaries or live concerts from different bands. Beer 5 lei, glass wine 5 lei. Kaze – Door to door with Brain bar, the only bar where you will find non-stop reggae music. Beer 4-5 lei, cocktails 10 lei. London pub (Str. Piata Unirii nr.1) – In the Astoria Hotel in the city center, this is a theme pub that is a favorite hang out for watching a football match if you feel like it. It is mostly addressed for business men and morning coffees as there will be no dancing usually here, but it is a nice place to enjoy one of their specialties. A 0.5L Tuborg is 6.5-7 lei. Clubul Presei (The Press Club) – In the basement of the Gulliver Block (first tall building on the Stefan cel Mare boulevard starting from Piata Unirii), on the side opposite to the main street. Look for the yellow door with the ramp leading to it. Though not exactly a metal bar, it is a meeting point for metalheads and other alternative types, since it serves some of the best mulled wine in Iaşi. You might want to stick to the small serving, though. It can make you much tipsier than you would think. If you want to play it safe, go for their special, brandy-and-whipped cream hot chocolate. Oh, and try to avoid the toilets. If you've lived in, or traveled extensively through Eastern Europe you have seen much worse, but there is still no need to subject yourself to that mess. Iulius Mall – Actually a retail mall, but if you want a decent shopping experience with trying some of the more extravagant bars in Iaşi, you will need to get here. Everything from Italian gelaterias that will give you ice-creams and espressos to oriental themed restaurants. Obviously, there is a big "food-court" as well, with plenty of international fast-food chains. Prices will range, but only because most of these bars will only serve you import beer (for example) that you will not find anywhere else so you will get a reasonable bargain if this is what you want. Everyone will know where this mall is, from people on the street to taxis, it is in the student housing center of "Tudor Vladimirescu". It is best to get a taxi or a bus, as it might be a long walk, depending where you are from. Max – Found in the living heart of Tudor Vladimirescu Campus. Cheap drinks and totally a place to be if you want to taste the life as a student engineer.
Stay safe
In general, the city of Iaşi is as safe as any other urban area in Europe and there is really no need for any special precautions.
Stray dogs
In Iaşi, dogs run wild and in these abandoned regions they are out of control. It is not uncommon to see 10 or more dogs together in packs. Do not bother them. Do not run away from dogs. See Aggressive dogs for more information on how to behave. Do not antagonize packs of stray dogs. If you are being followed by dogs, do not be aggressive; they are probably doing their own thing; however, if you find yourself threatened, do not run away. Instead, yell, pretend to throw rocks, to kick, etc., but do not take away their food.
Go next
Bucharest – A coach service leaves for Bucharest 5 times a day for 70 lei and the trip takes approximately 6 hours. The first service leave at 05:50 and the last at 21:30. The buses are air-conditioned and stop for food half-way. Chișinău , Moldova – There are 13 mini bus/maxi taxi services a day, from bay 5 in the main bus station (opposite the train station), 35 lei. Services run 06:45–17:30, with a rush of departures around 09:00. Private drivers outside the nearby Billa supermarket will aggressively hassle travelers to make the same journey for €20, but some travelers may appreciate the hassle and paying a little more for a quicker service.