Stand at the top of Bulevardul Stefan Cel Mare (si Sfint) on a winter evening and the whole street is strung with light decorations, with the Palace of Culture on Piața Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt and the National Theatre further along the same boulevard. That single walk tells you most of what Iaşi is: a former capital of Moldavia, still referred to as "The Moldavian Capital," where the cultural life of the city is concentrated in a compact, walkable centre.
The city suits travellers who like churches, museums and long walks more than nightlife or resorts. It rewards slow days: a carved church in the morning, a hilltop garden in the afternoon, a theatre or a quiet boulevard in the evening.
1. Palace of Culture
A giant monument on Piata Stefan cel Mare si Sfant that locals take for granted but which is striking to visitors. It holds the Art Museum, Moldavia's History Museum, the Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia and the "Ștefan Procopiu" Science and Technique Museum, plus several infrequently visited museums including a musical instrument museum and a "village" museum with ethnic outfits.
Because so much sits under one roof, it is the most efficient stop in the city. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-17:00, and it stands on Piata Stefan cel Mare si Sfant, so you can step straight out onto the boulevard afterwards.
2. Trei Ierarhi Church
This church is completely covered in carvings, and was once covered in gold which was burned away to be stolen. The atmosphere inside is musky, typical of East Orthodox churches, and it contains several chandeliers with decorative ostrich eggs. It is on the tentative list for nomination for the World Heritage list.
It is frequently under construction, so expect scaffolding. It sits on Bulevardul Stefan Cel Mare (si Sfint), which makes it easy to combine with the Metropolitan Church and the Palace of Culture in one walk.
3. Metropolitan Church
Locally called "Metropolia", this church contains the remains of "Saint Paraschiva", an important local saint. In summer the grounds are surrounded by vast rose bushes, and there is a water fountain at one end of the courtyard if you are thirsty.
Dress appropriately: do not wear short skirts, as the elderly are protective of in-church propriety. There are always beggars at the entrance. If you like chaos and celebrations, come between 12 and 16 October, when the city floods with pilgrims and the Stefan cel Mare boulevard becomes almost impossible to walk through.
4. Bulevardul Stefan Cel Mare (si Sfint)
Along this boulevard you will find the Metropolitan Church, the Trei Ierarhi Church, the Palace of Culture and the National Theatre. Part of it is closed to traffic nowadays, and in winter it carries an impressive set of light decorations.
On Sundays the National Theatre park fills up with icons and naïve paintings, which you can buy for rather small prices. Treat the boulevard as your spine for the day rather than a single stop.
5. Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre
The theatre has an exceptional interior designed by one of the most popular architects from Vienna at the beginning of the 19th century. It anchors the boulevard and the park beside it.
Pair a look at the building with the Sunday market of icons and paintings in the park in front of it.
6. Bulevardul Copou and Copou Park
Copou is a large hill containing a university, a botanical garden and many old, fancy houses, with rose bushes lining its sides and parks and old trees scattered between the buildings. It is a popular place to walk, and locals consider it the rich area; head onto the side streets for the quietest, serenest part of Iaşi.
Copou Park itself is tame, bench- and rosebush-laden, and popular with the young and the contemplative elderly. Do not put your feet on the benches, as you might get fined. Look for the extremely old linden tree held up by metal bars, said to be where the poet Mihai Eminescu wrote poems in its shade, with two large patches of bright blue forget-me-not flowers in front of it.
7. Botanical Garden
The botanical garden is high up on Copou hill and is a popular summer getaway. In the fall the walnut trees drop walnuts which you can eat, and some people go there specifically to find them.
Combine it with the rest of Copou hill in a single outing, since the garden, the university and the park are all up there.
8. Golia Monastery
This monastery is surrounded by thick, fat walls and has a prominent tower you can climb to the summit. It stands in "Targul Cucului" — "the Cuckoo's market" — right in the middle of the city at a very busy intersection, and the contrasting serenity within the walls is almost unbelievable.
Go for the climb and the quiet, and notice how quickly the noise of the intersection drops away once you are inside the walls.
9. Sfântul Nicolae Domnesc
This small but beautiful church is next to the Palace of Culture. It was built by Stephen the Great in 1491-1492, making it the oldest standing religious building in Iaşi today, and was renovated around 1900.
It is worth a visit to admire the paintings and to take a break for a little peace of mind. Because it is right beside the Palace of Culture, it fits naturally into the same stop.
10. Casa Dosoftei
Next to the Palace of Culture is a little stone house named after the scholar and metropolite ("archbishop") of Moldavia Dosoftei (1624-1693), one of the first to use the Romanian language for poetry and in the church. The house contains a small museum showing early manuscripts, prints and printing presses.
There are no English signs, and entry costs 3 lei. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-17:00, so it pairs well with the Palace of Culture on the same day.
11. Armenian Church of St. Maria
A well over 500-year-old Armenian church in the heart of Iaşi, on Armenian Street (Armeneasca).
It is a short, worthwhile detour if you are already walking the centre, and it adds a different layer to a day otherwise dominated by Orthodox churches.
12. 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. It is empty, long and narrow, its walls 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.
While school is in season it is trod by thousands of steps every day, which only makes it lonelier. You might also want to explore the rest of the building; the classrooms use both the Arab and the Roman numbering system, so finding your way is not straightforward.
13. Jewish cemetery
Hidden behind communist buildings in the Păcurari neighbourhood, this cemetery is a trace of the once thriving Jewish community of Iaşi. It is now guarded by a family who lives there.
You should be allowed to enter during decent day-hours. Go quietly and allow time, as it is away from the main sightseeing route.
14. Saint Sava Church
A church in the city included among the places worth seeing in Iaşi.
It is best treated as part of a wider church walk rather than a destination on its own, since the city is replete with churches and monasteries, the majority Eastern Orthodox, richly decorated and sometimes surrounded by lush gardens.
15. Frumoasa Monastery
This monastery is in Nicolina, farther from downtown and amidst communist buildings. You can recognise it by the metal roof.
It takes more effort to reach than the central sights, so save it for a day when you want to see a different part of the city.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Palace of Culture on Piata Stefan cel Mare si Sfant when it opens at 10:00, and give the museums inside real time. Step next door to Casa Dosoftei for the manuscripts and printing presses, then to Sfântul Nicolae Domnesc beside it.
Afternoon. Walk Bulevardul Stefan Cel Mare (si Sfint) to the Metropolitan Church and the Trei Ierarhi Church, then continue to the Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre. If the day is Sunday, browse the icons and naïve paintings in the National Theatre park. Finish the afternoon up on Copou hill: Copou Park, the old linden tree, and the Botanical Garden.
Evening. Return to the boulevard to see the light decorations, and if you have energy left, climb the tower at Golia Monastery for the contrast between the busy intersection and the quiet inside the walls.
When is the Palace of Culture open?
Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00-17:00. The same hours apply at Casa Dosoftei next door, so the two combine easily.
What should I wear when visiting the churches?
Dress modestly. Do not wear short skirts in the Metropolitan Church, where the elderly are protective of in-church propriety, and the same applies when entering churches generally. You can make the cross symbol on the doorstep and remove your hat.
When is the busiest time to visit Iaşi?
From 12 to 16 October, when the city floods with peasants and religious pilgrims from Romania and abroad for the largest Romanian pilgrimage. The city completely changes during this period, and Stefan cel Mare boulevard is almost impossible to walk through. If you want celebrations and chaos, that is the time to come; otherwise plan around it.
Is the Botanical Garden worth the trip up the hill?
Yes, if you are there in summer or autumn. It is a popular summer getaway, and in the fall the walnut trees drop walnuts which you can eat. It sits high on Copou hill, so combine it with Copou Park and the rest of the hill in one outing.
Pick your dates, decide whether you want the October pilgrimage or a quiet winter boulevard, and start building your days around the Palace of Culture and the walk up Copou.