Iași

Iaşi is in Moldavia 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.

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. The city centre 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 Centre 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.

City of Iaşi government website

By train:

1 Iași Railway Station (Gara Iași), Piața Gării. One of the landmarks of town, also known as the "Palace of Railway Station", will welcome you to Iaşi when arriving by train. The railway station building is 133-m long and has 113 rooms, with a real palace in the centre, a partial replica of the loggia from the Doge’s Palace in Venice. The railway station is very close to the center of the town and to the Tourism Information Centre (10 minutes of walking). (updated Jul 2021)

2 Iași Socola Railway Station (Gara Socola). The train to Chisinau, Moldova departs from here daily at 17:40 (110 MDL in third class).. (updated Jun 2025)

The connections to Iaşi from Bucharest, the national capital, and with other counties in Romania are good and reliable. You can check the schedule and price online at CFR (on this website you may also see the prices and the availability of the trains on the dates you wish to travel). You can also take direct trains from Budapest, which is well linked to Western Europe. A train ticket from Bucharest costs around €26 when using the most expensive and luxurious option, the inter-city.

By bus:

3 West Bus Station (Autogara Iași Vest), Șoseaua Moara de Foc, 15A. (updated Jun 2019)

4 Vama Veche Bus Station (Autogara Transbus Codreanu) (in front of the railway station). (updated Jun 2019)

Destinations:

Chișinău, Moldova – Coach services to Iaşi are operated from Gara de Sud in Chișinău. There are 9 services a day, from bay 11 (?), but watch out for the big gap between 07:45 and 10:10. The fare is 75 lei/300-350 MDL (March 2025) and the trip takes around 3-4hr.

By plane: