The Iasi County

Situated in the North Eastern part of Romania, respectively in the central zone of Moldavia, the Iasi county has a population of 811,342 inhabitants. The relief is a hilly one. In the central and North Eastern part, on about a half
surface of the county, there are hills and low interfluvial plateaus, drained by the Jijia and Bahlui Rivers.

The impressive cultural and artistic patrimony, its folk and ethnographic treassure, natural reservations and sources of Repedea, Valea Lunga, table water springs in Nicolina, Strunga, famous vineyards at Cotnari, as well as the road and railway junction from here helpt the development of an efficient tourism. The imposing buildings from Iasi place it as the second cultural town of Romania: the "Trei Ierarhi" (The Three Hierarches) Church where there are the bones of rules Vasile Lupu, Dimitrie Cantemir and Alexandru loan Cuza, the National Theatre, The Foundation Library, University. The Culture Palace is the landmark of Iasi, and the bells of its central tower ring every hour the Union Dance. The Princely Sf. Nicolae Church was built by Stefan cel Mare in 1492. Here the rulers of Moldavia were ordained: from Despot Voda to Alexandru loan Cuza. The Metropolitan Cathedral was built in 1833-1839 by Mitropolitan Veniamin Costachi. In 1880 the restoring works were led by architect Al. Orascu and painter Gh. Tatarescu. Both outside and inside there are neoclassical and baroque elements. Since 1888 here there are the relics of Sf. Cuvioasa Paraschiva, the religious patron of Moldavia. In the Copou Garden there is the oldest public forum monument of Romania: the Monument of Constitutional Rules known as the Obelisk of Lions built by Gh. Asachi. In the central part of the Copou Garden, near by Eminescu's lime Tree, there are Eminescu's bust and the bust of his older friend, Ion Creanga built in 1932. Later an Alley of "Junimea" with bronze busts of its members was built too.

There are also other valuable monuments in this county: the Palace of ruler Alexandru loan Cuza in Ruginoasa; "Vasile Alecsandri" Memorial House and mausoleum in Mircesti; the archaeological vestiges of the "Cucuteni" Neolithic civilization from the IV-III millenaries B.C.; the ruines of Princely Court and Dacian Fortress in Cotnari. In Iasi the first National Theatre in Romanian language in our country was founded. There are also Philarmnic Orchestra and "Luceafarul" Children Theatre.

The Iasi county has 12 hotels with 1,656 places, six inns and motels with 263 places, five chalets, 15 camping grounds, six rest homes and seven school camps.