Monuments to visit Iaşi

This monumental building is the city's landmark. The Palace of Culture(palatul Culturii) reopened its doors in 2016, following a complete renovation. It was built between 1906 and 1925, in a flamboyant neo-Gothic, Romantic and Baroque style, by architect Ion Berindei. The rooms and galleries (of which there are over two hundred!) are vast and elegant. Their decoration went through two phases: austere neoclassical under Carol ^I, Baroque and Art Nouveau under Ferdinand. The Hall of the Voivodes, one of the most beautiful, features a portrait gallery of Moldavian rulers. The two central halls, on the ground and first floors, are impressive for their length, which matches that of the main façade. Note the circular mosaic and its Gothic bestiary. Built in the center of the medieval town, within the walls of the former ^15th-century princely residence, the palace served as both town hall and court for thirty years. In 1955, it became the Palace of Culture, a vast complex housing several museums. You can also explore its superb clock tower: tours take place every hour, from 10.45 a.m. to 3.45 p.m. In front of the building stands a large equestrian statue of the famous Moldavian voivode Ștefan cel Mare.

Art Museum

This museum has three galleries: one devoted to modern Romanian art (Grigorescu, Pallady...), another to contemporary Romanian art and the last to European art. You'll see a painting by Rubens and various representations of Moldavian landscapes.

Museum of Moldavian History

The oldest exhibit dates back to the Lower Paleolithic. The museum also boasts an impressive collection of Cucuteni ceramics, a rich Neolithic civilization. You'll also see ancient and medieval coins, ^17th-century parchments and precious objects that belonged to Moldavian or national personalities (swords, throne, etc.).

Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia

This museum presents the activities and customs of the Moldavian people through the ages. You'll see fabrics, pottery, furniture, carpets, etc. The collection of agricultural implements (wine, fishing, farming or hunting) is particularly rich and varied, as is that of folk costumes.

Museum of Science and Technology

Its main attraction is its vast collection of musical automata. Other exhibits include photographic and cinematographic equipment, computers, meteorological and telephone instruments.

This elegant neoclassical building was built between 1894 and 1896 by Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer. The hall features a monumental staircase. The 740-seat auditorium, with boxes and balconies, is decorated with sumptuous Baroque and Rococo elements. The institution has seen many illustrious representatives of national culture, including playwright Vasile Alecsandri (1821-1890), a founding figure of Romanian theater. His statue faces the building.

It was founded in 1860 by the sovereign whose name it bears. It is the country's leading institution of higher education. Today, it is home to over 24,000 students. Inaugurated in 1897, the monumental University Palace on Copou Hill was built by Swiss architect Louis Blanc in a French eclectic style. The building contains several gems: the long salle des pas perdus with its surrealist murals, the former aula with its Baroque ornamentation and, finally, a superb library combining Baroque and Neo-Gothic styles.