The city of Iasi, the former capital of Moldova for three centuries, preserves its charm and grandeur, majestically expressed by the neo-gothic Palace of Culture (finished in 1925), now a complex of museums. Its gardens, terraces and water pools could fit into any postcard of Vienna or Paris. One of the landmarks of the city has been designed by the French architect Gustave Eiffel (yes, the guy with the tower). Close by, the 1642 Three Hierarchs church is built in Byzantine style but completely covered with Islamic-patterned bas-relieves, that stand proof to the Ottoman cultural influence. A few steps away, the massive Metropolitan Cathedral attracts, every September, ecstatic crowds of more than 150.000 pilgrims from around the country.
