The student years in Iași and its second part tourist attractions.

 In the last article, I talked about the historical and cultural places, the beauties and the aspects of the city of Iași, which I fell in love with.

".... Traveler and passer-by, as always, Iasi is a quiet stop for me (...). His Vaselia appears to me in a completely intellectual way, under the icon of my literate friends, gathered in discussions and reading (.. A day spent in Iasi was all ideal where everyone wants to spend their lives like nowhere else. any Romanian center ... "Galaction Gala - Iași was too much. "

In this article I will tell you about my travels with my colleagues and the wonderful trip outside Iasi.

Another interesting location is the Roznovanu Palace-Iasi City Hall.

Built in the 18th century, the Roznovanu Palace belonged to the richest and most influential families in the political landscape of Iași at that time.

This wonderful location, for a while, was a royal residence, and during the First World War it hosted the headquarters of the ministries, regugiate in Bucharest. The current office of the mayor was the office of King Ferdinard, and the meeting room of the Local Council was the place where the War Council of Romania met in 1918.

After this miracle I entered the Church of St. Nicole Domnesc. The Church of St. Nicholas the Prince was founded by Stephen the Great, and almost all the voivodes of Moldavia were anointed here. It was renovated between 1888 and 1904 by Lecomte de Nouy, ​​with a gold-plated iconostasis, carved in lime wood and Byzantine-style painting.

From here, Anastasie Panu Street leads to the civic center, originally a communist-style shopping center. Nowadays, the post-communist development is manifested by the lack of architectural uniformity, the food area moving under a glass dome behind the new Moldova Mall.

It was snowing heavily outside, covering the city in white. It was damp, you could feel it entering your bones. But I had to go far to see other beautiful and unseen locations.

In a fenced park behind Hotel Europa is the "Barboi Monastery," which is in good condition. It was built between 1613-1615, affected by the 1829 earthquake and renovated. Inspired by the architecture on Mount Athos, the church has four cannons with two hemispherical domes and is the only one in Iasi in the shape of a Greek cross.

The student years were beautiful and full of experience with the new friends I made.

One day a colleague of mine suggested that we take a walk through Iasi, to see interesting places, among them was the "Metropolitan Church of Moldova and Bukovina." During my four years as a student, I often went to light a candle and pray. It is a strong bond and an invaluable power.

The city of Iasi, the cultural capital of Moldova, is famous for its spiritual charge, offering its tourists the opportunity to discover some of the most impressive places of worship in Moldova. These include the Metropolitan Church of Moldova and Bukovina, located in the central part of the city.

It is famous for housing the Relics of the Holy Pious Parascheva, the patron saint of Moldova. Hundreds of thousands of believers go there every year to celebrate the days of the city to pray at the relics of Saint Parascheva, who is said to have produced many miracles among the faithful.

The monumental cathedral of Iași is marked by four massive towers, and its architecture is inspired by the Baroque style, which marks both the decorative elements on the outside and those on the inside.

Near the Metropolitan Church of Moldova and Bukovina, there is a Romanian-Catholic Cathedral, while I was leaving the church, I passed by curiosity, I saw how the faithful gathered and I heard the choir sing, I went in to hear their liturgy.

What caught my attention at St. Mary's Cathedral is its circular shape, rarely found in churches. The interior is dominated by a mosaic icon from another depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary and animated by the stained glass windows of the 24 orgies.

After that I visited another important church which is next to the Cathedral of the Monastery of the Holy Three Hierarchs which is the most beautiful foundation of the Lord of the Land of Moldavia, Vasile Lupu, being built in 1637-1639. The appearance of the monastery is unique due to the exterior ornaments, which cover the entire building and which was originally gilded. Alexandru Ioan Cuza was buried here.

Considered an architectural monument of great value in Iasi and throughout the country, the Monastery of the Holy Three Hierarchs attracts attention with its impressive architecture and due to its unique stone decorations, which adorn the upper facades. Founded by Vasile Lupu and built between 1635 and 1639, it was also home to the relics of Saint Parascheva between 1641 and 1889, before they were moved to the Metropolitan Cathedral. The fabulous and intricate exterior decorative elements make up a mess in the geometric figure that would not seem out of place on the most refined mosques of the same period.

Like a stone fabric, each outer door is crafted and sculpted into 30 strips of zigzags and braided circles, sprinkled with roses in arches and braids.

The monastery is also famous as the site of the first topography in Moldavia, founded by Vasile in 1640, and its first school dates back to 1641.

After visiting this wonderful monastery, I also went to Golia Monastery, it is located in a rose garden, behind a high stone wall. Initially on the northeastern border of the city of Iași, it was founded by the boyar Ioan Golia at the beginning of the 16th century and was rebuilt and extended in 1650-1653.

The tower of Golia Monastery is one of the symbols of Iași, and an important tourist attraction, if you climb the 120 steps up, you will see a beautiful panorama over the city.

In addition to the church in the complex, built by Vasile Lupu in the years 1650-1653, inside the defense walls there is also a house with columns from the 18th century, where Ion Creangă lived temporarily, while he was a deacon at Golia.

In an almost rural setting, three monasteries at the southern end of the city make up a place not worth visiting. These Monasteries are the Citadel Monastery, the Beautiful Monastery and last but not least the Galata Monastery.

On the top of one of the seven hills, the Cetățuia Monastery enjoys such a soothing calm that it seems detached from the rest of the city. Built between 1668 and 1672 by the voivode Gheorghe Duca. The monastery is remarkable for the fact that it survived almost intact behind the stone walls, 7 m high and 1.4 m thick. The church itself, a simpler version of the Three Hierarchs Monastery, preserves the original frescoes of the three Aromanian brothers from Ioannina.

From here, a 20-minute walk to the city along Poitier Boulevard, you can reach the Beautiful Monastery.

Although the location under the Citadel hill is less spectacular, its adorable gardens make it worthy of its name, the Beautiful Monastery. Founded in the 16th century by Meletie Balica, it became a monastery in 1618 under Gavrile Movilă and then under the princely court of Grigore Ghica. With strong Russian and Ukrainian influences in its architecture, the church dates back to 1836.

Also on the same hill of the same name, Galata Monastery was founded by Peter the Lame between 1582 and 1584, and has a beautiful and imposing bell tower. The only original part is the typical Moldovan church, while the other buildings were built in 1960. More isolated than the Beautiful Monastery, but not like the Citadel, it has a fenced garden where the nuns let the cattle graze, and a workshop where they made liturgical vestments and embroidered things.

In this article I will tell you about a trip I did in the penultimate year of college with my colleagues and our teachers.

It was a cold, sunny March day, and winter doesn't want to leave us yet. But time was running out and we were able to enjoy the view from the outside.

The plan of our trip was very interesting, the final destination was Iasi. Târgul Frumos, Palatul Ruginoasa, Miclăușeni, Piatra Neamț and the final destination Bicaz, Lacul Roșul and the return home. We all gathered at 8 o'clock in the morning in front of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University. The bus was waiting for us all to set off.

While we were leaving Iași, the driver took her to the village of Ruginoasa at a distance of 60 km from the city of Iași between the towns of Târgul Frumos and Pașcani. The palace of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza from Ruginoasă is a neo-Gothic palace built in 1804, which originally belonged to the Sturdza family and is currently a memorial museum dedicated to the Lord of the Union.

The ruler's house from "Ruginoasa" was known as Rușinoasa, because of the love of the eyes of the world and the ears of the family. In addition, it is said that the palate is cursed because the night was haunted by the ghost of a prince who lived here.

The palace, which today houses the Al. I. Cuza, was built in the first decade of the 19th century, by the treasurer Sandulache Sturdza, who commissioned the Viennese architect Johan Freiwald to build a luxurious residence on the site of the old boyar house of his ancestors. The original style was the neoclassical one, preserved by the chapel of the residence, a style that had prevailed in the civil architecture of Moldova at that time.

The building, which still retains the characteristics of the neo-Gothic style, inspired by German Romanticism, is square in shape, with one floor, each of the four facades having the same wide platform elements, balconies supported by stone slabs.

The striking resemblance to the palace, from Miclăușeni, Iași County, is not accidental, as it was built by another branch of the Sturdza family.

After leaving the Ruginoasă Palace, I took her to Tg Neamț, in the house where the great poet Mihai Eminescu was born in Ipotești. In 1924, Eminescu's childhood home, uninhabited for years, had become a ruin. In 1940, the first memorial museum was inaugurated in Ipotești, established in the house rebuilt in 1934 on the same place. As it does not respect the structure of the original, the museum house is demolished, and in 1979 another one is inaugurated, rebuilt on the old foundation of the Eminoviceşti house.

Starting with the year 2000, the exterior and interior finishing of the house, the furniture exhibited part original part from the second half of the 19th century revives the atmosphere of the thirty years (1848-1878) in which the poet's family lived in Ipotești, in the house built by the manor house with the final move to the village estate.

After visiting this beautiful spiritual and cultural richness, we got on the bus and took it to Miclăușeni, located 65 km from Iași, also known as Sturza Palace, the bargain-style castle that was built at the end of the century. 19th century as the residence of Gheorghe Sturdza.

Negotiating influences can be found in decorations such as: turrets, medieval armor, carousel, Latin sayings inscribed on the walls, entrance tower with a bridge over the water ditch.

After I finished seeing the Miclăușeni Palace, I took it to Bicaz and Red Lake. What I saw impressed me the most, the beauty of the places and the hospitality of the locals.

We decided to have lunch at Red Lake. We headed to Bicaz, a city in Neamț County, Moldova, Romania, consisting of the component localities Bicaz (residence), Capsa, Dodeni and Izvorul Muntelui, and behind Izvoru Alb, Potoci and Secu.

Bicaz Gorges are gorges located in the central part of the Hășmas Mountains, in northeastern Romania in Neamț and Harghita County, developed in Jurassic limestone. It is located in the central part of the eastern peak Țulgheș-Valea Rece of the Hășmaș Massif. Their main axis is represented by the Bicaz river. Monument of nature, are included protected areas of national interest. Cheile Bicazului from Neamț County and Lacul Roșu from Harghita County, being located in the integral protection area of ​​Cheile Bicazului-Hășamș National Park. The landscape in front of us was indescribable.

The gorges, crossed by the Bicaz river, deeply fragment the Hășmaș Mountains in the central part of their eastern peak, Tulgheș-Valea Rece, dividing the respective peak into a northern and a southern part (Dămuc Peak).

Although the gorges appeared in a mass of Jurassic limestone, along the route Lacul Roșu-Bucazu Ardelean there is also an association of jaspers, volcanic ash and conglomerates, which, along with the existence of differently colored and varied rocks in shape and composition, as well as and in the context in which most of the attractions in the area are located on the axis of the keys, they make this one of the most remarkable tourist attractions in the Romanian Carpathians.

We arrived at the Bicaz dam, there were many tourists from all over the world. We enjoyed the view from the outside. We were hungry.

Our teachers told us that we were going to eat you at Red Lake, at a Romanian restaurant.

In front of us the tourists went up the hill and down the valley, on a narrow and rocky road. On the left were shops selling handicrafts. Traders sold everything from handmade products to handicrafts. You could buy gifts for your loved ones.

It was an indescribable beauty and I had impressions. The fresh air and the coolness outside made you not leave

In front of us was the Stone Gate, which opened the way for us.

 Then I saw, on the right side, a cross on top of a mountain. That place I found out later was called the Altar Stone.

From there I entered the Entrance to Hell's Neck, a part of the road was narrow, and then a beautiful view opened up some Serpentines leading to the Red Lake Tunnel.

The surroundings of the lake have a pleasant microclimate, especially beneficial for treating states of physical and mental exhaustion, insomnia, neurasthenia. The valley is practically fertile from the winds, the air is particularly clean, rich in aerosols, the picturesque surroundings offer excellent conditions for looking for sources of rapid regeneration on the natural path since the 1990s, it was the spa-recreational tourism that brought development from the point in view of the tourist services of this area.

Red Lake (locally also known as Ghilcoș Lake) is a natural dam lake formed following the collapse of a slope due to the earthquake of January 23, 1838, at 18.45. 6.9 magnitude, VIII intensity at the foot of the Hășmașul Mare Mountain, near the Bicaz Gorges, at a distance of 26 km from Gheorgheni, in Harghita County. According to the latest measurements, made in 1987, its dimensions are: the lake stretches over a perimeter of 2,830 m. The lake was formed at an altitude of 983 m and the volume of water that accumulates is 587,503 m. The lake was formed at the attitude of 983 , in a depression with a predominantly subalpine climate. After seeing this wonder, I ate at the local restaurant. We were tired, but we spent two wonderful hours. We got on the bus and went to Iasi.

At the end, I recommend you if you pass through Romania, only to see these wonderful places, of a rare beauty. I will soon surprise you with new impressions and memories.

                                                         Written by Elena Boguș

Anii de studenție la Iași și atracțiile sale turistice a doua parte.

 În articolul trecut, am vorbit despre locurile istorico-culturale, frumusețiile și aspectele orașului Iașul, de care m-am îndrăgostit.

".... Călător și trecător, cum era întotdeauna, Iașii sunt pentru mine un popas tihnit(...). Vaselia lui îmi apare în fel cu totul intelectual, sub icoana amicilor mei literați, adunați în discuțiuni și lectura(...). O zi petrecută în Iași era totul ideal unde fiecare are vrea să-și petreacă viață ca nicăieri aiurea. Era, în acest oraș domnesc, cuprins de melancolia amintirilor prea mari, mai mult intelegentă și mai cult pentru cele intelectuale, decât în oricare centru românesc..."Gala Galaction - Iașii-prea erau. "

În acest articol vă voi povesti despre călătoriile mele cu colegii mei și minunata excursie în afara Iașului.

O altă locație interesantă, este Palatul Roznovanu-Primăria Iași.

Construită în secolul al XVIII-lea, Palatul Roznovanu a aparținut cele mai bogate și influențe familii din peisajul politic al Iașului acelor vremuri.

Această locație minunată, pentru o vreme a fost reședință regală, iar în Primului Război Mondial a găzduit sedii ale ministerelor, regugiate de la București. Biroul actual al primarului a fost biroul regelui Ferdinard, iar sala de ședințe a Consiliului Local a fost locul în care s-a întrunit Consiliul de Război al României în 1918.

După această minunăție am intrat la Biserica Sfântu Nicole Domnesc. Biserica Sfântu Nicolae Domnesc a fost întemeiată de Ștefan cel Mare, și aproape toți voievozii Moldovei au fost miruiți aici.  A fost renovată în perioada 1888-1904 de  către Lecomte de Nouy, cu un iconostaș placat cu aur, sculptat în lemn de tei și pictură în stil bizantin.

De aici, strada Anastasie Panu conduce către centrul civic, inițial centru comercial în stil comunist. În zilele noastre, dezvoltarea post-comunistă se manifestă prin lipsa uniformității arhitecturale, zona alimentară mutându-se sub o cupolă de sticlă în spatele noului Mall Moldova.

Afara ningea foarte tare, a îmbrăcat orașul în alb. Era umezeală, simțeai cum îți intră în oase. Dar trebuia să merg departe să văd alte locații frumoase și nevăzute.

Într-un parc îngrădit în spatele Hotelului Europa, se află "Mănăstirea Barboi,"care este într-o stare bună. A fost construită în perioada 1613-1615, afectată de cutremurul din 1829 și renovată. Inspirată de arhitectura de pe  Muntele Athos, biserica prezintă patru tunuri cu două cupole semi-sferice și este singura din Iași în formă de cruce grecească.

Anii de studenție au fost frumoși și plini de experiență alături de prietenii noi pe care mi-am făcut.

Într-una din zile un coleg de-al meu mi-a propus să ne plimbăm prin Iași, să vedem locuri interesante, printre ele a fost "Mitropolia Moldovei și a Bucovinei." În cei patru ani de studenție deseori treceam să aprind o lumnare și să mă rog. Este o legătură puternică  și o putere inestimabilă.

Orașul Iași, capitala culturală a Moldovei, este renumit pentru încărcătura sa spirituală, oferind turiștilor săi posibilitatea de a descoperi unele dintre cele mai impresionante lăcașuri de cult ale Moldovei. Printre acestea se numără și Mitropolia Moldovei și a Bucovinei, localizată în zona centrală a orașului.

Aceasta este renumită pentru că adăpostește Moaștele Sfintei Cuvioase Parascheva, ocrotitoarea Moldovei. Sute de mii de credincioși merg acolo în fiecare an, cu ocazia celebrării zilelor orașului pentru a se ruga la moaștele Sfintei Parascheva, despre care se spune că a produs numeroase minuni în rândul credincioșilor.

Monumentala catedrală ieșeană este marcată de patru ture masive, iar arhitectura sa este inspirată de stilul baroc, care marchează atât elementele decorative din exterior cât și cele din interiorul său.

Lângă Mitropolia Moldovei și a Bucovinei, se află Catedrală Română-Catolică, în timp ce ieșeam biserică, am trecut din curiozitate, am văzut cum se adunau credincioși și am auzit cum cânta corul, am intrat să aud litutghia lor.

Ce mi-a atras atenția la Catedrală Sfânta Maria Regina este forma sa circular, rar întâlnită la biserici. Interior este dominat de icoană mosaic din altat ce o înfățișează pe Sfânta Fecioara Maria și animat de vitraliile din cele 24 de orgive.

După aceea am vizitat o altă biserică importantă care este lângă Catedrala Mănăstirea Sfinții Trei Ierarhi care este cea mai frumoasă ctitorie a Domnului Țării Moldovei, Vasile Lupu, fiind construită în 1637-1639. Înfățișarea mănăstirii este unică datorită ornamentelor exterioare, care acoperă întreaga clădire și care a fost inițial aurită. Aici a fost înhumat Alexandru Ioan Cuza.

Considerată un monument arhitectural de mare valoare în Iași și în întreaga țară, Mănăstirea Sfinții Trei Ierarhi atrage atenția prin arhitectura sa impresionantă și datorită decorațiunilor sale unice din piatră, care împodobesc fațade superioare. Întemeiată de către Vasile Lupu și construită în perioada 1635-1639, a fost de asemenea în perioada 1641-1889 adapostul moaștelor Sfintei Parascheva, înainte de mutarea acestora în catedrala Mitropolitană. Fabuloasele și complicatele elemente decorative exterioare alcătuiesc o dezordine în figură geometrice care nu ar părea nelalocul lor pe cele mai rafinate moschei din aceeași perioadă.

Ca o țesătură în piatră, fiecare portiță exterioară este elaborate și sculptată în 30 de fâșii de zigzaguri și cercuri împletite, presărate cu trandafiriîn arcuri și împletituri. 

Mănăstirea este de asemenea faimoasă ca fiind locul primei topografii din Moldova, înființată de Vasile în 1640, iar prima sa școală datează în 1641.

După ce am vizitat această minunată mănăstire, am fost și la Mănăstirea Golia, este așezată într-o grădină de trandafiri, în spatele unui zid înalt de piatră. Inițial la limita nord-estică a orașului Iași, a fost întemeiată de către boierul Ioan Golia la început secolului XVI-lea și a fost reconstruită și extinsă în 1650-1653.

Turnul Mănăstirii Golia este unul dintre simbolurile Iașului, și o atracție turistică importantă, dacă urci cele 120 de trepte până sus, vei vedea o panorama superbă asupra orașuilui.

Pe lângă biserica din complex, construită de Vasile Lupu în anii 1650-1653, în incinta zidurilor de apărare se mai păstrează și o casă cu coloane din secolul al XVIII-lea, unde a locuit temporar Ion Creangă, cât a fost diacon la Golia.

Într-o liniște aproape rurală, trei mănăstiri de la capătul sudic al orașului alcătuiesc un loc ce nu merită de vizitat. Aceaste Mănăstiri sunt Mănăstirea Cetățuia, Mănăstirea Frumoasă și nu în ultimul rând Mănăstirea Galata.

Pe culmea unuia dintre cele șapte dealuri, Mănăstirea Cetățuia se bucură de un calm atât de liniștitor, încât pare desprinsă de restul orașului. Construită în perioadă1668 -1672 de către voievodul Gheorghe Duca. Mănăstirea este remarcabilă pentru faptul că a supraviețuit aproape intactă în spatele zidurilor de piatră, de 7 m înălțime și 1.4 m grosime. Biserica în sine, o versiune mai simplă a Mănăstirii Trei Ierarhi, păstrează fresescele originale celor trei frați aromani de la Ioannina.

De aici, la 20 de minute pe jos către oraș de-a lungul bulevardului Poitier, se ajunge la Mănăstirea Frumoasa.

Deși locația sub dealul Cetățuia este mai puțin spectaculoasă, grădinile sale adorabile o fac demnă de numele acesta, Mănăstirea Frumoasa. Întemeiată în secolul al XVI-lea de către Meletie Balica, a devenit mănăstirea în 1618 sub Gavrile Movilă și apoi sub curtea princiară a lui Grigore Ghica. Cu puternice influențe ruse și ucrainene în arhitectura sa, biserica datează din 1836.

Tot pe același deal cu același nume, Mănăstirea Galata a fost întemeiată de Petru cel Șchiop între anii 1582 și 1584, și are un frumos și impunător turn cu clopot. Singura parte originală este biserica tipic moldovenească, în timp ce celelalte clădiri au fost construite în anul 1960. Mai izolată decât Mănăstirea Frumoasă, dar nu precum Cetățuia, ea are o grădină îngrădită unde măicuțele lasă vitele la păscut, și un atelier de lucru unde realizau veșminte liturgie și lucruri brodate.

În acest articol vă voi povesti despre o excursie în care am făcut-o în penultimul an de facultate împreună cu colegii mei și profesorii noștrii. 

Era o zi de martie rece și însorită, iarnă nu vrea să ne părăsească încă. Însă timpul ținea cu noi și puteam să ne bucurăm de priveliștea de afară.

Planul excursiei noastre era foarte interesant distinația finală era Iași.  Târgul Frumos, Palatul Ruginoasa, Miclăușeni, Piatra Neamț și destinația finală Bicaz, Lacul Roșul și întoarcerea către casă. Ne-am strâns cu toții la ora 8 dimineața în fața Universității Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Autobusul ne-a așteptat pe toți să pornim la drum.

În timp ce am ieșit din Iași, șoferul a luat-o către satul Ruginoasa la o distanță  de 60 km de municipiului Iași între orașele Târgul Frumos și Pașcani. Palatul domnitorului Alexandru Ioan Cuza de la Ruginoasă este un palat construit în stil neogotic în anul 1804, care a aparținut inințial familiei Sturdza și actualmente muzeu memorial dedicat Domnului Unirii.

“Casa domnitorului de la “Ruginoasa” era cunoscută ca Rușinoasa, din cauza amorurile de ochii lumii și de urechile familiei. În plus, se zice că palatal este blestemat pentru că noaptea ar fi bântuit de fantoma unui prinț care a locuit aici.

Palatul, care astăzi adăpostește muzeul memorial Al. I. Cuza, a fost construit în primul deceniu al secolului al XIX-lea, de vistiernicul Sandulache Sturdza, care a comandat arhitectului vienez Johan Freiwald ridicarea unei luxoase reședințe pe locul vechii case boierești a strămoșilor săi. Stilul inițial a fost cel neoclasic, păstrat de capela reședinței, stil care se impusese cu predilecție în arhitectura civilă din Moldova acelor timpuri.

Clădirea, care păstrează și astăzi caracteristicile stilul neogotic, inspirit de romantismul german este de forma pătrată, cu un etaj, fiecare din cele patru fațade având aceleași elemente peroane largi, balcoane sprijinite de lespezi de piatră.

Asemănarea frapantă cu palatul, de la Miclăușeni, jud. Iași, nu este întâmplătoare, acesta fiind construită de o altă ramura a familiei Sturdza.

După ce am ieșit din Palatul Ruginoasă, am luat-o către Tg Neamț, în casa care s-a născut marele poet Mihai Eminescu în Ipotești. În 1924, casa copilăriei lui Eminescu nelocuită ani de zile, ajunsese o ruină. În 1940 este inaugurat la Ipotești primul muzeu memorial, înființat în casa recostruită în 1934 pe același loc. Întrucât nu respecta structura originalului, casa muzeu este dărămată, iar în 1979 se inaugurează o altă,  reconstruită pe vechea fundație a casei Eminoviceștilor.

Începând cu anul 2000, finișajul exterior și interior al casei, mobilierul expus parte originală parte provenind din a doua jumătate a secolului al XIX-lea reînvie atmosfera celor treizeci de ani(1848-1878) în care familia poetului a locuit la Ipotești, în casa construită de căminar odată cu mutarea definitivă la moșia din sat.

După ce am vizitat această bogăție frumoasă culturală spiritual, ne-am urcat în autobus și am luat-o către Miclăușeni, situat la 65 km de Iași, cunoscut și sub denumirea de Palatul Sturza, castelul în stil negotic  care a fost construit la sfârșitul secolului al 19-lea ca reședință a lui Gheorghe Sturdza.

Influențele negotice se regăsesc în decorațiuni cum ar fi: turnulețe, armuri medievale, sala de manej, dictoane latinești însiscrise pe pereți, turn de intrare cu pod peste șanțul de apă.

După ce am terminat de văzut Palatul Miclăușeni, am luat-o către Bicaz și Lacul Roșu. Ceea ce am văzut m-a impresionat cel mai tare, frumusețea locurilor și ospitalitatea localnicilor.

Am hotârât să luăm prânzul la Lacul Roșul. Ne-am îndreptat către orașul Bicaz,  un oraș în județul Neamț, Moldova, România, format din localitățile componente Bicaz(reședința), Capsa, Dodeni și Izvorul Muntelui, și din spatele Izvoru Alb, Potoci și Secu.

Cheile Bicaz sunt chei situate în partea central a Munților Hășmas, în nord-estul României în Județul Neamț și Harghita, dezvoltate în calcare jurasice. Se află în partea central a culmii estice Țulgheș-Valea Rece a Masivului Hășmaș. Axul principal al acestora este reprezentat de către râul Bicaz. Monument al naturii, sunt incluse ariilor protejate de interes național. Cheile Bicazului din județul Neamț și Lacul Roșu din județul Harghita, fiind situate în aria de protecție integral a Parcului Național Cheile Bicazului- Hășamș. Piesajul care se deschide în fața noastră era de nedescris.

Cheile, străbătute de râul Bicaz, fragmentează adânc Munții Hășmaș în porțiunea central a culmii estice a acestora, Tulgheș-Valea Rece, despărțind culmea respectivă într-o porțiune nordică și una situată la sud(Culmea Dămuc).

Deși cheile au apărut într-o masă de calcare jurasice, de-a lungul traseului Lacul Roșu-Bucazu Ardelean se întâlnesc și asociere de jaspuri, cenuși vulcanice și conglomerate, care, alături de existența rocilor diferit colorate și viariate ca formă și alcătuire, precum și în contextul în care pe axa cheilor se află majoritatea punctelor de atracție din zonă, fac ca aici să existe unul dintre cele mai remarcabile atracții  turistice din Carpații Românești.

Am ajuns pe barajul Bicaz, erau mulți turiști din toate colțurile lumii. Ne-am bucurat de priveleștea de afară. Ni s-a făcut foame. 

Profesorii noștrii ne-au anunțat că v-om mânca la Lacul Roșu, la un restaurant cu specific românesc.

În fața noastră turiștIi urcau la deal și coborau la vale, pe un drum îngust și stâncos. Pe partea stângă erau magazine cu produse artizanale. Comercianții vindeau tot felul, de la produse handmade până la produse meșteșugărești.  Aveai de unde cumpăra cadouri pentru cei dragi.

Era o frumusețe de nedescris și am avut impresii pe măsură. Aerul curat și răcoarea de a afară, te făcea să nu pleci

În fața noastră se deschidea Poarta de Piatră, care ne-a deschis drumul.

 Pe urmă am văzut, pe partea dreaptă o cruce în vârf în vârf de  munte. Acel loc am aflat mai târziu era denumit Piatra Altarului.

De acolo am intrat în Intrarea în Gâtul Iadului, o porțiune de drum era îngustă, și pe urmă s-a deschis o privelește frumoasă niște Serpentine care duc până la Tunelul Lacul Roșul.

Împrejurimile lacului au un microclimat plăcut, deosebit de benefic pentru trătarea stărilor de extenuare fizică și psihică, insomnii, neurașteni. Valea este practic fertile de vânturi, aerul deosebit de curat, bogat în aerosoli, împrejurimile pitorești oferă condiții excelente pentru ce caută surse de regenerare rapidă pe calea natural începând cu anii 1990, tocmai turismul balnear-recreativ a fost cel care a adus dezvoltarea din punctul de vedere a serviciilor turistice a acestei zone.

Lacul Roșu(local cunoscut și sub numele de Lacul Ghilcoș) este un lac de baraj natural format în urmă prăbușirii unui versant din cauza cutremurului din 23 ianuarie 1838, ora 18,45. 6.9 magnitutudine, VIII intensitate la Poalalele Muntelui Hășmașul  Mare, în apropierea Cheilor Bicazului, la o distranță de 26 km  de Gheorgheni, în județul Harghita. La ultimele măsurători, efectuate în anul 1987, dimensiunile acestuia sunt: lacul se întinde pe un perimetru de 2.830 m. Lacul s-a format la altitudinea de 983 m și volumul apei care se acumulează este de587.503 m. Lacul s-a format la atitudinea de 983, într-o depresiune cu un climat predominant subalpin. După ce am văzut această minunățile, am mâncat la restaurant local. Eram obosiți, dar am petrecut două ore minunate. Am urcat în autobus și ne-am dus către Iași.

La închiere vă recomand dacă treceți prin România, numai decât să vedeți aceste minunate locuri, de o frumusețe rară. În curând vă voi suprinde cu noi impresii și amintiri.

                                                           Scrisă de Elena Boguș

The student years in Iași and its tourist attractions.

 Once there, you will follow in the footsteps of "Stephen the Great", you will walk through the places of soul of "Mihai Eminescu" and you will discover the place where the childhood memories of "Ion Creanga" came to life.

Look how time passes, as if I was a high school student yesterday, eager to become a big and responsible man, with many dreams, but I didn't know what the future held for me.

I wanted to continue my studies in Bucharest and start a new life. From certain points of view, destiny has certain plans related to me, where my parents had such a saying: "look in Bucharest, you better stay at home with us".

I chose this faculty not only because of my parents' insistence, but also because I really wanted to. This college gave me insights into life and helped me grow. Everything changed from year to year.

When you are in an unknown place, either city or people, it is the same. You adapt hard but in the meantime you get used to it.

Wherever you come, he greets you with open arms. Although it seems that it is a game of destiny, only the strong can resist, because wherever you are, you go through hardships and situations.

In this article I want to talk about other things. After graduating from high school in Sfântul Gheorghe, I submitted my papers to Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, to the Faculty of Philosophy, Specialty of Political Sciences in Iași. I really wanted to study at this university.

Iași seemed more beautiful to me than Sfântul Gheorghe, which has a rich cultural history and a famous university center.

I had very good teachers from whom I took important things for life, who opened my eyes wide, how to think, how to speak, to have a certain vision of life.

I met beautiful people at heart and mind, who remained my friends forever.

The city of Iasi was a second home for me, where everything was new, people places and events that happened in the meantime. There is nothing accidental in life.

It was hard for me to get used to everything about this city, but in the meantime I managed to get used to it. I remember all the memories of my student years.

I'm still amused by that incident with my teacher. My history teacher, who made my classmates laugh because all the seats were occupied. At first I had great emotions, which disappeared after I met my colleagues.

In class we were all together, but in seminars we were divided into groups. There were a total of five groups, including me. We were not a united group, where each was independent.

In time, I managed to make friends. I was attracted to tourist attractions from the first year of college.

My first tourist attraction was Bojdeuca lui Ion Creangă. Together with other colleagues of mine, we met in front of the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" statue, which was the meeting point for all students.

It was autumn outside, it was warm and beautiful, the yellowed leaves were falling from the trees.

The city of Iasi is a beautiful city, which I miss. The student years are over. There I met the period of Eminescu and Ion Creanga. The culture and history of this city, as well as the architecture, made me love it and the people in it.

  After visiting the city's locations, Bojdeuca lui Ion Creangă was followed by Copou Park and the Botanical Garden. Bojdeuca lui Ion Creangă, dates from 1872, when he was rebuked and forced to leave the house inside the Golia Monastery. The man from Humulești moved here, in the room on the right, having as neighbor Ecaterina Vartic, the one who would fatten him until the end of his life. All Stories Childhood Memories were written in the box christened by the bojdeuca writer. In the summer and autumn of 1876, Mihai Eminescu lived here as Creangă's tenant.

I was left with some very beautiful impressions, after visiting the house of the great storyteller and I felt the energy emanating from the present objectives.

Ion Creanga's house was composed of two rooms that also had a beautiful garden in the back. It became a memorial museum on April 15, 1918, and restorations were made between 1942 and 1985.

After visiting this wonderful bojdeuca, we took it on the way to Copou Park. Copou Park is the oldest park in Iasi, located on Copoului Hill, being the largest urban park in the central and northern part of the city.

In the garden of Copou Park is the Monument of Constitutional Laws, known as the Obelisk with Lions made by Mikhail Singurov, in 1834, according to a project by Gh. Asachi. The 15 m high and 10 ton heavy stone column, supported by four lei, symbolizes the four European powers that recognized the independence of the Romanian Lands.

In the center of Copou Park, we can find next to Eminescu's Lime and Bust and the bust of his old friend Ion Creanga erected in 1932. Later Junea Alley was erected with bronze busts of its members: the monument of the poet Veronica Micle, the bust of Costache Negruzii , the bust of Iacob Negruzii, the bust of Gheorghe Panaitescu-Bardasare, the bust of Constantin Daniel Stahi, the bust of Nicolae Gane and the bust of Barbu Ștefănescu-Delavrancea. The monuments dedicated to George Topârceanu, Ion Luca Caragiale, Emanoil Panaiteanu-Bardasare, Octav Băncilă, Ciprian Porumbescu and Grigore Vieru decorate other alleys of the park.

The park dates from the first half of the 19th century, its arrangement starting with the years 1833-1834 under the reign of Mihail Sturza.

Together with my colleagues I also visited the Botanical Garden "Anastasie Fătu." The park was established in 1856, it is the first university botanical garden in our country, named after its founder, Anastasie Fătuș.

The arrangement of the famous garden in Copou has never stopped, being necessary the constant conservation of the ten sections that it includes. Over 9000 plant taxa from various geographical regions can be admired outside and inside the Botanical Garden of Iasi.

In February-August there are collections of azaleas, camellias, orchids, crotons, cacti, bonsai, tulips, irises, daffodils, roses and dahlias, and in September-November, starting with 1976, they are exhibited, under the title Autumn Flowers, chrysanthemums, fruits, cabbage seeds, beets, peppers and decorative pumpkins, which attract over 200,000 visitors annually, from the country and abroad.

Because we were hungry and it was too late to visit other tourist locations in Iasi.

During the four years of my student stay in Iasi I visited many tourist attractions as historical and cultural religious such as: Monastery of the Holy Three Hierarchs, Metropolitan Cathedral of Iasi, Church of St. Nicholas the Prince, Băărboi Monastery.

The student years were interesting and full of adventure, with an unforgettable experience, where I also went to the University Library, in clubs with friends, and outdoor trips.

Iasi was the capital of Moldavia from 1564-1859, one of the two capitals of the United Principalities between 1859-1862 and the capital of the Kingdom of Romania between 1916-1918. The city is shrouded in beauty and charm, being a true national museum, with its treasures of history and art.

The name of the city is closely linked to the so-called golden age, of the Romanian culture and spirituality, its history being marked by numerous monuments and archeological vestiges from Cucuteni that revealed one of the most brilliant Neolithic culture in Europe. Located in northeastern Romania, the city of Iasi was and still is, the capital of Romanian culture and spirituality.

The cultural heritage includes 256 archeological sites, 20 memorial houses, 580 historical and architectural monuments, 13 architectural museums.

The city is a real national museum, through the treasures of history and art that have traces of inhabiting this land since the Paleolithic on the territory of Iaşi County, numerous settlements dating from the XIII-XIV century have been identified.

On weekends we visit several locations in Iasi, museums, theaters, cinemas, markets, parks. The first Memorial House I visited was the "Otilia Cazimir Memorial House," the house where Otilia Cazimir lived and created, which became a memorial museum in 1972.

I entered a semi-cool room and I could still feel the energy and the fragrant smell of the writer, the office where Otilia Cazimir was writing is full of manuscripts. The pen of glasses and other personal items seemed to be waiting for her.

The writer's library abounds in dedicated books. His portraits or landscapes from the Bucșinescu area, made by painters from the Iași school, such as Victor Mihăiescu-Craiu, Nicolae Constantin, give the measure of the appreciation that Otilia Cazimir enjoys among plastic artists.

The next one is the “George Topîrceanu Memorial House”, a small, discreet, almost mysterious house that was built at the end of the 19th century and belonged to the poet Demostene Botez. I later found out from the guide and the headquarters of the magazine "Literary Notes", installed on January 8, 1919, which included: Mihail Sadoveanu, G. Ibrăileanu, G. Topîrceanu and Demostene Botez. The memorial was inaugurated on June 22, 1985, one year before the centenary of the poet's birth (UNESCO Centenary).

Then we visited the Mihail Kogâlniceanu Memorial Museum, along with other old buildings from Iași that belonged to the Kogâlniceanu family. but also those of the man Mihail Kogâlniceanu (1817-1891). Starting with March 4, 2012, the “Mihail Kogâlniceanu” Memorial Museum is reopened to the public.

The next visit I made was the Memorial House of "Mihail Sadoveanu", I did not know that Mihail Sodoveanu lived in Iasi. But I found out from the museum guide that this Memorial House was inaugurated on November 6, 1980, where the daughter of the writer Profira Sadoveanu, the wife of the writer Valeria Sadoveanu, writers and people of culture, officials from Iași, a large audience were present.

The next trip was the Memorial House "Vasile Pogor" in the heart of Iasi is the "house with lighted windows", in the halls of which met some of the personalities who marked the history of modern Romania: Maiorescu, Alecsandri, Xenopol, Conta, Caragiale, Eminescu, Slavici, Creanga and many others. At that time, this house belonged to Vasile Pogor, one of the founders of the famous literary society "Junimea," and hosted countless junimist meetings.

The museum benefited, through the care of the Ministry of Culture and Cults, of the Iași County Council and of the Iași City Hall, from restoration works during 1994-2006. The permanent exhibition, reorganized and inaugurated on October 13, 2006, brings together aspects of literary history covering, in stages, a period of about 150 years.

Its construction, in a brilliant neo-Gothic style lasted almost 20 years, and both its interior richly decorated with heraldic motifs. The clock in the tower sang "Hora Unirii" every hour. There are four museums inside. Admission to the Voivodeship Hall or walk around is free, but each museum has a separate entrance free.

On the side is the "Museum of the History of Moldova," which focuses on archaeological elements. It has a beautiful collection of Cucuteni pottery, a native culture that is thought to have existed in this region between 3700-2500 BC. The inhabitants of Cucuteni had talents for pottery and decorated their vessels with symmetrical geometric elements, the only surviving aspect of their decorative art.

On the first floor, there is the "Ethnographic Museum of Moldova," featuring a set of very large tools used in food production, as well as folk costumes and carpets. There is also a craft shop.

At the same is the "Art Museum," which has two sections and a temporary exhibition in the Hall of Dukes. It presents modern and contemporary art, Theodor Aman's work Unirea Pricipatelor depicting two women dressed in folk costume, holding hands. The other section presents European art.

Perhaps the funniest for children is the "Stefan Procopiu Museum of Science and Technology" on the ground floor. It has a strange and beautiful collection of musical instruments from the 19th and 20th centuries, which the staff will present, even making demonstrations. Another section has models of different teachings, some little known, beyond the borders of the country.

Next to the palace, there is a large equestrian statue of Stephen the Great unveiled by Carol I in 1883, with his scepter indicating the boulevard of the same name. The bas-reliefs on the marble pedestal commemorate scenes

from the battles of Dumbrava Roșie and Valea Alba, in which Ștefan cel Mare fought.

The other two tourist attractions were the "Palace of Culture" and the "Dosoftei House," which is located in the Civic Center, overlooking the majestic south end of Stefan cel Mare Boulevard, ridiculously gigantic. 

After finishing visiting the "Palace of Culture" we went to the Church of "Saint Nicholas the Prince" and "Casa Dosoftei."

Located right next to the "Palace of Culture", the "Church of St. Nicholas" was built by "Stephen the Great" in 1491-1492, being the oldest church in Iasi that has been preserved to this day, and its exterior has a unique appearance , which you admire on your way to the city center.

But let's not forget another cultural and literal edifice is "Casa Dosoftei" hosts the Department of Romanian Literature where you can see many original exhibits, including the oldest manuscript continuing the Chronicle attributed to Grigore Ureche. The archaic-looking stone building was built in the second half of the 17th century and originally belonged to the "St. Nicholas Prince" church.

I couldn't miss a walk on "Ulița Domnească" which starts from "Palatul Culturii" and ends in Piata Unirii I discovered a lot of symbolic buildings of Iași.

The "Vasile Alecsandri" National Theater, dating from 1896, is the oldest in the country and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Its elegant and richly decorated interior was inspired by the Baron and Rocco architectural styles, one of its ceilings being painted by the famous Viennese painter Alexander Goltz.

Once inside the theater, I was impressed by the 100 lamps in the center of the building, all of which offer a special elegance and refinement to the theaters in the monumental art of Iași. Numerous plays that have become famous nationally and internationally it is performed in the halls of this theater every year.

Next we visited the "Museum of Natural History" which is located at number 16 and occupies an impressive neoclassical building from the eighteenth century, somehow known as the Roset house. The museum is famous because Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected governor of Moldavia in 1859.

Râpa Galbenă, known among the locals, is an important area, located at the base of Copou Hill. The Elisabeta esplanade in Iași was built at the end of the 19th century, its purpose being to facilitate the movement of friends to the central area of the city. Its terrain is clayey, and its unique appearance is represented by the multitude of underground springs that descend from the Copou area to Bahlui.

Numerous works have been carried out in this area for the construction of clay for construction or pottery, in the area of Unirii Markets there was in the past a neighborhood of locals specialized in the art of pottery.

The Union Square and Museum in Iași, through which I passed daily, are of historical importance. The main square of the city. Unirii Square is of overwhelming importance for Romanians, because here the union ceremony with Wallachia was celebrated and Romania was born in 1859. Sitting in a small garden in the center of the square, the bronze statue of Alexandru Ioan Cuza is another symbol of union.

And further north, behind the Republic Cinema, the Union Museum is housed in a building dating back to 1806. After the union of 1859 it became Cuza's palace in 1917-1918 and was for a short time the royal residence for King Ferdinand. when the capital temporarily moved to Iasi, during the First World War. The museum contains valuable collections of documents and other items belonging to Alexandru Ioan Cuza and his family.

In closing, if you pass through Iași, don't forget to visit these wonderful tourist attractions.

In the next article, I will tell you about the most important monasteries and churches in Iasi, and an important trip to Sturza Castle in Maiclăușeni and the Alexandru Ioan Cuza Memorial Palace in Ruginoasa, Red Lake and Bicaz.

                                                        Written by Elena Bogus