Our Amazing Journey Through Romania with a Stop in Beautiful Budapest!!!
Dec 2nd, 2025 | 04:21 PM
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Our Amazing Journey Through Romania with a Stop in Beautiful Budapest!!!
Hello everyone,
We visited Romania and Budapest in September and had an amazing trip! I want to thank kja and shelemm for their very interesting and very helpful trip reports. Their awesome reports inspired us to move Romania to the top of our wish list, so we decided to visit in 2025 instead of some unspecified future date. I also wish to thank Geetika for recommending the Queen’s Court Hotel in Budapest; we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. And I want to thank mendota98, TravelTherese, tripplanner001, Michael, bilboburgler, and Travel_Nerd for the helpful advice they gave on my planning thread.
Why Romania? That’s what some of our family and friends asked us. Well, (and I hope this doesn’t sound silly) I’ve been interested in Romania ever since reading Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula (inspired by Vlad the Impaler) many years ago and watching the Dracula movie. I know, I know, Romania is about so much more than Dracula. But the novel and movie made Romania seem so mysterious, so exciting and so different from other European countries. And then over the years I’ve read about the wooden churches of Maramures and the painted monasteries of Bucovina. Our youngest daughter and her husband went to Romania for their honeymoon and loved it. Yes, I know, not a typical honeymoon destination. 😊
Budapest, too, has been on my travel list for a long time. Its history, its architecture, the Danube River, the stunning Parliament building have all held my interest, so it made sense to add Budapest to our itinerary.
We had 22 nights on the ground: 17 nights in Romania and 5 nights in Budapest. We flew into Iasi (pronounced “yash”), which is in the region of Moldavia near the border of Moldova. We rented a car, picking it up in Iasi and returning it in Bucharest. We flew from Bucharest to Budapest.
Here is our itinerary:
· Iasi – Hotel Arnia – 2 nights
· Gura Humorului – Hotel Buchenland – 2 nights
· Sighetu Marmatiei (Sighet) – Hotel Gradina Morii – 3 nights
· Cluj-Napoca – Courtyard by Marriott – 1 night
· Sibiu – MAGISTER seven – 4 nights
· Sighisoara – Casa Georgius Krauss – 1 night
· Brasov – Prinz Gregor – 2 nights
· Bucharest – Christina Hotel – 2 nights
· Budapest – Queen’s Court Hotel and Residence – 5 nights
WEATHER AND COSTS:
Once again, we really lucked out with the weather. The beginning of our trip was warm and very summer like. I wore capris and sandals for about the first 5 or 6 days. For most of our trip, temps were in the 60’s and 70’s with the exception of Bucharest when temps rose again to the 80’s. We had light rain one day in Sighet. No downpours. A light rain one night in Budapest.
Romania is very, very inexpensive. It is the least expensive European country we have visited. For example, our hotel in Gura Humorului cost $146 for TWO NIGHTS! Our hotel in Sighet cost $328 for THREE NIGHTS. And so on for all of our accommodations in Romania.
September 5 – 6, 2025: Leaving Boston and Arriving in Iasi, Romania
We flew Austrian Airlines to Iasi, Romania, with a layover in Vienna. The layover was more hectic than we expected. When we arrived in Vienna, we had to walk some distance and then take an escalator downstairs, where we waited for a bus to bring us to another terminal. Once at the terminal, it was another longish walk to the gates. Our gate had not been announced yet. We had time for lunch and then we went to the gate once it was announced. About 5 minutes before we were to board, there was an announcement that we had to go to a different gate, which was quite a long walk, then down a flight of stairs (long line at the elevator) to find out our flight was delayed. When it was finally time to board, we took a bus out to our plane and had to walk up a long flight of steps, which we’ve done before but I don’t like doing.
So, we finally made it to Iasi. The airport is small and quiet with fields on either side. After we got our luggage, we looked for the rental car offices but didn’t see any signs. I asked an airport employee where the rental car offices are located, and he motioned to us to follow him down a long corridor. There we spotted a few rental car offices that were all closed. But I didn’t see our rental car company, Flexi Car. I rented through AutoEurope. The employee spoke very little English and asked someone at the nearby café if he could help. He couldn’t help us but he found someone else who spoke more English. So, this 3rd person told us Flexi Car is a broker, and the company we hired from is Autonom. We did see the Autonom office but it was closed. He very nicely called the number on my voucher, and then told me someone would be here in a few minutes. Everyone was so nice and so helpful. The car rental company employee arrived in a few minutes; I have no idea where he was. He unlocked the office, took care of paperwork, and then we followed him to our car in the parking lot. I have used AutoEurope for years, and this was the first mistake they made. Another one to come when we return the car in Bucharest. 😊
We are finally on our way to Hotel Arnia, our home for the next 2 nights. Our room was a large one- bedroom apartment with 1.5 baths. The hotel has a parking lot which was an important criteria for us. However, we aren’t crazy with the location, about 1.5 km from the city center. We could have walked to the center but the neighborhood was not that pleasing to the eye, filled with soviet style architecture, so we drove whenever we went to downtown Iasi. In retrospect, I would have preferred to be closer to the center but it’s possible those hotels didn’t have on-site parking.
For dinner I had planned on going to one of the two restaurants that kja recommended. However, one is closed temporarily, and the other one was closed both nights we were in Iasi. So, my husband did some research and found Krud Brasserie. We drove there, and it was easy to find street parking. The evening was warm and pleasant, so we opted to dine outside in their lovely garden area. After taking our order, our waitress brought out complimentary roasted corn with seasonings. Delicious, and a nice touch! We ordered 6 bruschettas with different toppings, such as cheese, humus, shrimp and pate toppings. I ordered a shrimp stew for my main, and Ed ordered a white fish dinner. The food was very, very good.
We were the only Americans at this restaurant. We didn’t hear any English. For most of our travels throughout Romania, especially in Bucovina and Maramures, we saw and heard very few Americans. I think most tourists were Romanians and Germans. For people looking for a less-traveled and less-crowded destination, Romania is certainly an excellent choice!
We visited Romania and Budapest in September and had an amazing trip! I want to thank kja and shelemm for their very interesting and very helpful trip reports. Their awesome reports inspired us to move Romania to the top of our wish list, so we decided to visit in 2025 instead of some unspecified future date. I also wish to thank Geetika for recommending the Queen’s Court Hotel in Budapest; we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. And I want to thank mendota98, TravelTherese, tripplanner001, Michael, bilboburgler, and Travel_Nerd for the helpful advice they gave on my planning thread.
Why Romania? That’s what some of our family and friends asked us. Well, (and I hope this doesn’t sound silly) I’ve been interested in Romania ever since reading Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula (inspired by Vlad the Impaler) many years ago and watching the Dracula movie. I know, I know, Romania is about so much more than Dracula. But the novel and movie made Romania seem so mysterious, so exciting and so different from other European countries. And then over the years I’ve read about the wooden churches of Maramures and the painted monasteries of Bucovina. Our youngest daughter and her husband went to Romania for their honeymoon and loved it. Yes, I know, not a typical honeymoon destination. 😊
Budapest, too, has been on my travel list for a long time. Its history, its architecture, the Danube River, the stunning Parliament building have all held my interest, so it made sense to add Budapest to our itinerary.
We had 22 nights on the ground: 17 nights in Romania and 5 nights in Budapest. We flew into Iasi (pronounced “yash”), which is in the region of Moldavia near the border of Moldova. We rented a car, picking it up in Iasi and returning it in Bucharest. We flew from Bucharest to Budapest.
Here is our itinerary:
· Iasi – Hotel Arnia – 2 nights
· Gura Humorului – Hotel Buchenland – 2 nights
· Sighetu Marmatiei (Sighet) – Hotel Gradina Morii – 3 nights
· Cluj-Napoca – Courtyard by Marriott – 1 night
· Sibiu – MAGISTER seven – 4 nights
· Sighisoara – Casa Georgius Krauss – 1 night
· Brasov – Prinz Gregor – 2 nights
· Bucharest – Christina Hotel – 2 nights
· Budapest – Queen’s Court Hotel and Residence – 5 nights
WEATHER AND COSTS:
Once again, we really lucked out with the weather. The beginning of our trip was warm and very summer like. I wore capris and sandals for about the first 5 or 6 days. For most of our trip, temps were in the 60’s and 70’s with the exception of Bucharest when temps rose again to the 80’s. We had light rain one day in Sighet. No downpours. A light rain one night in Budapest.
Romania is very, very inexpensive. It is the least expensive European country we have visited. For example, our hotel in Gura Humorului cost $146 for TWO NIGHTS! Our hotel in Sighet cost $328 for THREE NIGHTS. And so on for all of our accommodations in Romania.
September 5 – 6, 2025: Leaving Boston and Arriving in Iasi, Romania
We flew Austrian Airlines to Iasi, Romania, with a layover in Vienna. The layover was more hectic than we expected. When we arrived in Vienna, we had to walk some distance and then take an escalator downstairs, where we waited for a bus to bring us to another terminal. Once at the terminal, it was another longish walk to the gates. Our gate had not been announced yet. We had time for lunch and then we went to the gate once it was announced. About 5 minutes before we were to board, there was an announcement that we had to go to a different gate, which was quite a long walk, then down a flight of stairs (long line at the elevator) to find out our flight was delayed. When it was finally time to board, we took a bus out to our plane and had to walk up a long flight of steps, which we’ve done before but I don’t like doing.
So, we finally made it to Iasi. The airport is small and quiet with fields on either side. After we got our luggage, we looked for the rental car offices but didn’t see any signs. I asked an airport employee where the rental car offices are located, and he motioned to us to follow him down a long corridor. There we spotted a few rental car offices that were all closed. But I didn’t see our rental car company, Flexi Car. I rented through AutoEurope. The employee spoke very little English and asked someone at the nearby café if he could help. He couldn’t help us but he found someone else who spoke more English. So, this 3rd person told us Flexi Car is a broker, and the company we hired from is Autonom. We did see the Autonom office but it was closed. He very nicely called the number on my voucher, and then told me someone would be here in a few minutes. Everyone was so nice and so helpful. The car rental company employee arrived in a few minutes; I have no idea where he was. He unlocked the office, took care of paperwork, and then we followed him to our car in the parking lot. I have used AutoEurope for years, and this was the first mistake they made. Another one to come when we return the car in Bucharest. 😊
We are finally on our way to Hotel Arnia, our home for the next 2 nights. Our room was a large one- bedroom apartment with 1.5 baths. The hotel has a parking lot which was an important criteria for us. However, we aren’t crazy with the location, about 1.5 km from the city center. We could have walked to the center but the neighborhood was not that pleasing to the eye, filled with soviet style architecture, so we drove whenever we went to downtown Iasi. In retrospect, I would have preferred to be closer to the center but it’s possible those hotels didn’t have on-site parking.
For dinner I had planned on going to one of the two restaurants that kja recommended. However, one is closed temporarily, and the other one was closed both nights we were in Iasi. So, my husband did some research and found Krud Brasserie. We drove there, and it was easy to find street parking. The evening was warm and pleasant, so we opted to dine outside in their lovely garden area. After taking our order, our waitress brought out complimentary roasted corn with seasonings. Delicious, and a nice touch! We ordered 6 bruschettas with different toppings, such as cheese, humus, shrimp and pate toppings. I ordered a shrimp stew for my main, and Ed ordered a white fish dinner. The food was very, very good.
We were the only Americans at this restaurant. We didn’t hear any English. For most of our travels throughout Romania, especially in Bucovina and Maramures, we saw and heard very few Americans. I think most tourists were Romanians and Germans. For people looking for a less-traveled and less-crowded destination, Romania is certainly an excellent choice!
Dec 2nd, 2025 | 04:39 PM
#2
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Dining on the patio at Krud Brasserie in Iasi, our first night in Romania
Complimentary roasted corn with seasonings - delicious!
Our delicious appetizer - bruschetta with various toppings, such as cheese, humus, pate, and shrimp
I ordered a shrimp stew. . . .
and Ed ordered a white fish
The view from our hotel room window - Soviet style architecture. The red building is Carrefour, the French grocery store.
Dec 2nd, 2025 | 05:23 PM
#4
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Dec 2nd, 2025 | 06:03 PM
#5
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,173
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September 7, 2025 – Exploring Beautiful Iasi
The breakfast buffet at our hotel was mediocre at best. Ingredients are your typical buffet fare, but the quality was not up to par, but certainly edible for 2 mornings.
Our plan for today was to get over jetlag by exploring the pretty city of Iasi, primarily walking outdoors on such a beautiful day. Iasi is the region’s cultural capital, and according to my guidebook, it’s the most attractive city in the region, too. There are several museums in Iasi, but we preferred to be outdoors and admire the architecture, the flowers, people watch, etc.
We drove our car to the city center and easily found a parking space in a carpark. We took our time walking along a pedestrianized street with leafy trees, flowers, vendors, cafes, churches, etc. In fact, there are 4 churches/cathedrals in a row! This area could easily be called Cathedral Row! The primary religion of Romania is Orthodox Christianity. Other Christian denominations are Protestants and Roman Catholics. We went inside the Biserica Trei Ierarhi (Church of the Three Hierarchs), Iasi’s landmark site. Another gorgeous church is the Biserica Sf Gheorghe (Old Metropolitan Church of St. George) built in 1761. And this is right next to Catedrala Mitropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral), completed in 1887 and the largest Orthodox church in Romania.
There was a religious service going on in one of the churches we visited that we found very interesting. People were writing messages on small pieces of paper and then waiting in line to put these messages in a box, and then waited again to be blessed. I appreciate small moments like this when traveling.
We had drinks and shared a pizza at the outdoor café at Hotel Grand Traian before heading back to our hotel for a rest.
Dinner tonight was at Casa Bolta Rece which was a lot of fun with strolling musicians. Ed ordered duck leg with cabbage and polenta, and I ordered stuffed cabbage (golompki in Polish)
with polenta. We noticed that polenta was served with almost every dish in Romania!
The breakfast buffet at our hotel was mediocre at best. Ingredients are your typical buffet fare, but the quality was not up to par, but certainly edible for 2 mornings.
Our plan for today was to get over jetlag by exploring the pretty city of Iasi, primarily walking outdoors on such a beautiful day. Iasi is the region’s cultural capital, and according to my guidebook, it’s the most attractive city in the region, too. There are several museums in Iasi, but we preferred to be outdoors and admire the architecture, the flowers, people watch, etc.
We drove our car to the city center and easily found a parking space in a carpark. We took our time walking along a pedestrianized street with leafy trees, flowers, vendors, cafes, churches, etc. In fact, there are 4 churches/cathedrals in a row! This area could easily be called Cathedral Row! The primary religion of Romania is Orthodox Christianity. Other Christian denominations are Protestants and Roman Catholics. We went inside the Biserica Trei Ierarhi (Church of the Three Hierarchs), Iasi’s landmark site. Another gorgeous church is the Biserica Sf Gheorghe (Old Metropolitan Church of St. George) built in 1761. And this is right next to Catedrala Mitropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral), completed in 1887 and the largest Orthodox church in Romania.
There was a religious service going on in one of the churches we visited that we found very interesting. People were writing messages on small pieces of paper and then waiting in line to put these messages in a box, and then waited again to be blessed. I appreciate small moments like this when traveling.
We had drinks and shared a pizza at the outdoor café at Hotel Grand Traian before heading back to our hotel for a rest.
Dinner tonight was at Casa Bolta Rece which was a lot of fun with strolling musicians. Ed ordered duck leg with cabbage and polenta, and I ordered stuffed cabbage (golompki in Polish)
with polenta. We noticed that polenta was served with almost every dish in Romania!
Dec 2nd, 2025 | 06:32 PM
#6
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Biserica Trei Ierarhi (Church of the Three Hierarchs), Iasi's famous landmark site. Completed in 1639.
The exterior is carved all over with chevrons, meanders, and rosettes. Very intricate. Looks like lace.
The very pretty pedestrianized main street lined with arches of flowers.
[img alt="
"]https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fodors.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_2608_1__b09ef52f69ac6c14ad460fb70b8104e208d943 bd.jpeg[/img]
Another view of the flower arches
[img alt="
"]https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fodors.com-vbulletin/2000x1504/img_5190_002c38a94b75e285b68e55aa7339a56bf74bb8c1. jpeg[/img]
The huge Catedrala Mitropolitana - the largest Orthodox Church in Romania.
The back of the Catedrala Mitropolitana.
Close up of the colorful mosaics on the back of Catedrala Mitropolitana - the blue is so striking against the white.
Another street scene
Vendors set up along the pedestrianized street.
And more flowers
Biserica Sf Gheorghe - beautiful mosaics decorate the porch
Mosaics decorate the porch of the Old Metropolitan Church of St. George.
Musicians at Casa Bolta Rece - there were several small tour groups dining here. The food is very good and the atmosphere is lively.
Casa Bolta Rece
I had stuffed cabbage (golompki in Polish) with polenta . . .
and Ed ordered duck leg with cabbage and polenta.
Last edited by KarenWoo; Dec 2nd, 2025 at 06:46 PM.
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Dec 3rd, 2025 | 12:18 AM
#9
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,848
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Karen, I had been waiting for this TR, thanks a ton! Romania is unlikely to figure on my travels, so it’s extra special to me. Am flying out to India today on our usual year-end trip, so I will bookmark this to read at leisure. Thanks again and advance wishes for a blessed Christmas and New Year!
Dec 3rd, 2025 | 05:09 AM
#11
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,173
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tripplanner001, thank you so much for following along while you are in beautiful NZ and writing your TR live. I appreciate it.
geetika, have a safe flight to India and a wonderful visit.
bilboburgler, Wow! I am impressed that you used bicycles in Romania. What regions did you bike through? My husband did all the driving, and he found it to be very easy. In most places there was very little traffic, except in the cities in Transylvania. Roads were in good condition for the most part except for a few rough areas.
geetika, have a safe flight to India and a wonderful visit.
bilboburgler, Wow! I am impressed that you used bicycles in Romania. What regions did you bike through? My husband did all the driving, and he found it to be very easy. In most places there was very little traffic, except in the cities in Transylvania. Roads were in good condition for the most part except for a few rough areas.
Dec 3rd, 2025 | 07:10 AM
#12
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 30,533
Likes: 4
Karen, basically we went where you went. Found the traveling bee keepers in the mountains on the back road into Transylvania , met wild packs of domesticated dogs, saw the end of communist hotels and the beginning of sensibly priced guest houses... All by bike.
Dec 3rd, 2025 | 07:33 PM
#14
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Joined: Mar 2003
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September 8, 2025: Our Pretty Drive to Gura Humorului and the Painted Monasteries
After breakfast we checked out of our hotel, and then we made the three- hour drive to Gura Humorului, driving past lots of cornfields, sunflowers, and small farm stands selling watermelons and onions. It was kind of comical seeing primarily watermelons and onions sold together. Odd combination!
We are spending the next two nights in the town of Gura Humorului, a popular base for people visiting the painted monasteries of Southern Bucovina. Our lodgings, Hotel Buchenland, is satisfactory. Our room is on the smallish side, and there were stains on the carpeting, but good enough for 2 nights. And it had the required parking lot! Although our first parking space was very tight, and against the hotel wall. So my husband had to climb over the passenger seat to exit the car.
After getting settled, we had time to visit the beautiful and stunning Voronet Monastery. The painted monasteries of Southern Bucovina are acclaimed as masterpieces of art and architecture. The churches’ outside walls are covered with biblical paintings, such as the Last Judgement, the Ladder of Virtue, and the Tree of Jesse. All the monasteries we visited have colossal eaves to protect the walls from the elements. Another reason they have survived centuries of weather and war is because the artists used a special pigment made from crushed minerals. Many of the paintings are still fresh after 450 years. Amazing!
The Voronet Monastery was founded in 1488. It boasts a magnificent Last Judgement, which is considered the finest single composition among the painted monasteries. There are fish-tailed bulls, unicorns, and zodiac symbols. It really is gorgeous and just amazing that the paintings have survived all these years.
After a long day, we didn’t have the energy to search for restaurants, so we dined at the hotel’s restaurant. They have a nice covered patio for dinner. The food was good. I ordered sausages, fries, and a salad. Ed ordered lamb shank with mashed potatoes. Romanian food is very, very meat centric.
After breakfast we checked out of our hotel, and then we made the three- hour drive to Gura Humorului, driving past lots of cornfields, sunflowers, and small farm stands selling watermelons and onions. It was kind of comical seeing primarily watermelons and onions sold together. Odd combination!
We are spending the next two nights in the town of Gura Humorului, a popular base for people visiting the painted monasteries of Southern Bucovina. Our lodgings, Hotel Buchenland, is satisfactory. Our room is on the smallish side, and there were stains on the carpeting, but good enough for 2 nights. And it had the required parking lot! Although our first parking space was very tight, and against the hotel wall. So my husband had to climb over the passenger seat to exit the car.
After getting settled, we had time to visit the beautiful and stunning Voronet Monastery. The painted monasteries of Southern Bucovina are acclaimed as masterpieces of art and architecture. The churches’ outside walls are covered with biblical paintings, such as the Last Judgement, the Ladder of Virtue, and the Tree of Jesse. All the monasteries we visited have colossal eaves to protect the walls from the elements. Another reason they have survived centuries of weather and war is because the artists used a special pigment made from crushed minerals. Many of the paintings are still fresh after 450 years. Amazing!
The Voronet Monastery was founded in 1488. It boasts a magnificent Last Judgement, which is considered the finest single composition among the painted monasteries. There are fish-tailed bulls, unicorns, and zodiac symbols. It really is gorgeous and just amazing that the paintings have survived all these years.
After a long day, we didn’t have the energy to search for restaurants, so we dined at the hotel’s restaurant. They have a nice covered patio for dinner. The food was good. I ordered sausages, fries, and a salad. Ed ordered lamb shank with mashed potatoes. Romanian food is very, very meat centric.
Last edited by KarenWoo; Dec 3rd, 2025 at 08:13 PM.
Dec 3rd, 2025 | 08:12 PM
#15
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Voronet Monastery - this was our view as we entered the gate
This photo shows the colossal eaves that protect the paintings from the weather.
The magnificent Last Judgement - devils and angels push sinners into the flaming river
Side view of Voronet Monastery - this monastery is sometimes referred to as the Sistine Chapel of the East
Close up view - The blue paint is called Voronet Blue
Voronet Monastery - the most visited of the painted monasteries
Another side view
Close up detail of the Last Judgement
Close up detail of the Last Judgement
The vibrant blue is stunning!
This is the church in downtown Gura Humorului
Interior of the church in Gura Humorului
Beautiful church in Gura Humorului
Another view of the church in Gura Humorului
Dinner at the hotel's restaurant - I ordered sausages with fries and a salad.
Ed ordered lamb shank with mashed potatoes.
Dec 3rd, 2025 | 11:13 PM
#16
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 30,533
Likes: 4
Never made it to the painted monesteries, they are fascinating. I assume paintings needed because so many people could not read, access to books was limited and in a foreign language.
I like Romanian as a language, very much a romance language it is possible to read slowly with a grounding in French or Italian.
I found the whole localised nation thing a bit weird, the Germans from 1350 and their descendants have mainly gone, I assume. The Hungarians stick to Transylvania mainly, while the Roma have left going to Sweden, UK etc leaving just Romanians in much of the country.
I like Romanian as a language, very much a romance language it is possible to read slowly with a grounding in French or Italian.
I found the whole localised nation thing a bit weird, the Germans from 1350 and their descendants have mainly gone, I assume. The Hungarians stick to Transylvania mainly, while the Roma have left going to Sweden, UK etc leaving just Romanians in much of the country.
Dec 3rd, 2025 | 11:25 PM
#17
Joined: Dec 2025
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
what great experience
Your trip report was such a pleasure to read, you really captured the spirit of Romania and Budapest beautifully. I loved how you described the mix of history, culture, and those little surprises along the way, like the friendly people helping with the car rental in Iași and the unexpected meals at monasteries. It’s inspiring to see how much you enjoyed places like Maramureș, Bucovina, and Sibiu, and how you noticed the differences compared to other European destinations.
We also travel around Romania quite a bit, and I can confirm what you said, it’s still one of the least expensive and most rewarding countries to explore. Renting a car is definitely the best way to see those smaller towns and hidden gems. For anyone planning a similar trip, we often use expert-inchirieriauto.ro here in Romania, and it’s been very reliable and straightforward.
Thank you again for sharing your detailed itinerary and impressions, it’s the kind of report that makes others want to pack their bags and go discover Romania for themselves!
We also travel around Romania quite a bit, and I can confirm what you said, it’s still one of the least expensive and most rewarding countries to explore. Renting a car is definitely the best way to see those smaller towns and hidden gems. For anyone planning a similar trip, we often use expert-inchirieriauto.ro here in Romania, and it’s been very reliable and straightforward.
Thank you again for sharing your detailed itinerary and impressions, it’s the kind of report that makes others want to pack their bags and go discover Romania for themselves!
Dec 4th, 2025 | 05:25 AM
#18
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 25,275
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So interesting, and such gorgeous photos..those painted monasteries seem worth the visit alone!
I'll never get there, but so great you are taking time to post this!!
Did you have any chats with locals? Anything about the US come up in conversations and if so....???
I'll never get there, but so great you are taking time to post this!!
Did you have any chats with locals? Anything about the US come up in conversations and if so....???
Dec 4th, 2025 | 06:19 AM
#19
Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: 45-45 41st. Street Long Island City New York
September 7, 2025 – Exploring Beautiful Iasi
The breakfast buffet at our hotel was mediocre at best. Ingredients are your typical buffet fare, but the quality was not up to par, but certainly edible for 2 mornings.
Our plan for today was to get over jetlag by exploring the pretty city of Iasi, primarily walking outdoors on such a beautiful day. Iasi is the region’s cultural capital, and according to my guidebook, it’s the most attractive city in the region, too. There are several museums in Iasi, but we preferred to be outdoors and admire the architecture, the flowers, people watch, etc.
We drove our car to the city center and easily found a parking space in a carpark. We took our time walking along a pedestrianized street with leafy trees, flowers, vendors, cafes, churches, etc. In fact, there are 4 churches/cathedrals in a row! This area could easily be called Cathedral Row! The primary religion of Romania is Orthodox Christianity. Other Christian denominations are Protestants and Roman Catholics. We went inside the Biserica Trei Ierarhi (Church of the Three Hierarchs), Iasi’s landmark site. Another gorgeous church is the Biserica Sf Gheorghe (Old Metropolitan Church of St. George) built in 1761. And this is right next to Catedrala Mitropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral), completed in 1887 and the largest Orthodox church in Romania.
There was a religious service going on in one of the churches we visited that we found very interesting. People were writing messages on small pieces of paper and then waiting in line to put these messages in a box, and then waited again to be blessed. I appreciate small moments like this when traveling.
We had drinks and shared a pizza at the outdoor café at Hotel Grand Traian before heading back to our hotel for a rest.
Dinner tonight was at Casa Bolta Rece which was a lot of fun with strolling musicians. Ed ordered duck leg with cabbage and polenta, and I ordered stuffed cabbage (golompki in Polish) with polenta. We noticed that polenta was served with almost every dish in Romania!
The breakfast buffet at our hotel was mediocre at best. Ingredients are your typical buffet fare, but the quality was not up to par, but certainly edible for 2 mornings.
Our plan for today was to get over jetlag by exploring the pretty city of Iasi, primarily walking outdoors on such a beautiful day. Iasi is the region’s cultural capital, and according to my guidebook, it’s the most attractive city in the region, too. There are several museums in Iasi, but we preferred to be outdoors and admire the architecture, the flowers, people watch, etc.
We drove our car to the city center and easily found a parking space in a carpark. We took our time walking along a pedestrianized street with leafy trees, flowers, vendors, cafes, churches, etc. In fact, there are 4 churches/cathedrals in a row! This area could easily be called Cathedral Row! The primary religion of Romania is Orthodox Christianity. Other Christian denominations are Protestants and Roman Catholics. We went inside the Biserica Trei Ierarhi (Church of the Three Hierarchs), Iasi’s landmark site. Another gorgeous church is the Biserica Sf Gheorghe (Old Metropolitan Church of St. George) built in 1761. And this is right next to Catedrala Mitropolitana (Metropolitan Cathedral), completed in 1887 and the largest Orthodox church in Romania.
There was a religious service going on in one of the churches we visited that we found very interesting. People were writing messages on small pieces of paper and then waiting in line to put these messages in a box, and then waited again to be blessed. I appreciate small moments like this when traveling.
We had drinks and shared a pizza at the outdoor café at Hotel Grand Traian before heading back to our hotel for a rest.
Dinner tonight was at Casa Bolta Rece which was a lot of fun with strolling musicians. Ed ordered duck leg with cabbage and polenta, and I ordered stuffed cabbage (golompki in Polish)
with polenta. We noticed that polenta was served with almost every dish in Romania!Iasi doesn’t always make the ‘top places to visit’ lists, but it’s honestly one of the most charming cultural cities in the country — Cathedral Row, the pedestrian streets, those cafés… it’s such a relaxing place to wander, especially when you’re jet-lagged and just want to enjoy something beautiful.
Your post will definitely inspire more people to give Romania a try. And if anyone is thinking of exploring beyond Bucharest or Transylvania, Iasi and the whole Moldova region have so much to offer — especially when you get to discover them with someone who really knows the area.
Glad you enjoyed the food too (yes, polenta is everywhere 😄
. Hope the rest of your trip is just as lovely!
Dec 4th, 2025 | 07:52 AM
#20
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 567
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When I saw your Italy trip report this summer, I assumed you had changed your trip destination for the year, but you guys got to do two trips - how wonderful! Great start, and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the trip report. Romania is a definite possibility for my 2027 trip.
