In the city 

When I run in the city, there’s three main locations I use. These are not the only options, really you can run on any sidewalk straight enough to suit your taste, Iași is a very safe place, but these are the best, for me at least. 

The stadium. Usually open from 7 AM to 9 PM every day unless there’s a match or some other event happening there, you can go do laps in the stadium and run up and down the stairs if you so choose. 

The second location is actually two locations, and it’s either of the Copou or Expoziție parks. A “lap” is about a kilometer so you’ll have to go around a few times, but at least you can vary it a little bit and it’s not as “boring” as the stadium. 

The third location is alongside the Bahlui River. You can run the full length of the river from when it enters the city until it leaves it and that will be about 9km, but the more central, well lit (if at night) and easily accessible section is from Metalurgie until Podu de Piatră, which is 3.8 km one way. Either bank of the river will do, though the Northern bank is best for the Metalurgie – Tudor Vladimirescu leg. 

All these locations are flat, no ups and downs, no incline. 

At the city’s edge 

If you want to escape the city noise a bit but not have to travel too far, I have two locations on the list.

As you go North on Aleea Mihail Savodeanu from about here to here, there’s a pretty straight sidewalk to go up and down for about 1 km each way. It’s on the top of the hill, less traffic, not too busy, and a bit of an incline to get the blood pumping. 

The second location is in the Ciric area, alongside the road to the West of Lake Veneția. It’s a combined walking, running and biking lane and it can be a little busy on summer weekend afternoons, but typically it’s pretty chill. Park here and run to here for about 1.4km one way, or extend the route into the complex, alongside the Ciric lake, until here, and gain 500 meters each way. 

Trail running 

My favorite kind of running. I’ll focus on two general areas, each with multiple trails and options.

The first area is the Eastern Hills of Ciric, Airport hill and beyond all the way to Lake Chirița. 

Park here, the same place as you would if you wanted to run the trail alongside Lake Veneția, but instead go like this, through Giani’s Tunnel. I don’t know why they call it Giani’s Tunnel, nobody I asked knows either, I don’t know if Giani is a real person, but it doesn’t matter: Giani’s Tunnel is amazing and in certain times of the year, like autumn, it feel like it’s straight out of the Lord of the Rings. It’s a narrow forest trail and the trees tend to lean in and cover it from above as well, hence “Tunnel”. 5 km up, 5 km back down, 10 km in total. 

Or, if you want to extend it, don’t stop at the end of the forest. Continue East on the little dirt road right next to the Airport fence, have the runway to your right and do a bit of plane spotting too if you’re into that. Take a right and follow the airport fence then continue on the dirt road heading South until you’re back in the City coming from another side, go back North alongside the military base and then make a left and end up back where you started, at the base of Lake Veneția. This route is 11-ish km and 150-ish m total climb. If you want something even longer, go explore any of the dirt roads you see to the East, all the way to Lake Chirița and the Valea Lungă village. Nobody will mind you running on any of the agricultural roads and trails anywhere in that area, as long as you don’t actually start running over the crops, which you have no reason to. 

If you want more climb and elevation gain for your run, one of the steeper sections is going to be to run back and forth from here to here until you’re satisfied. I’ve had 30 km runs in this general area without retracing my steps once. 

The second general area is, let’s call it generically, the Bucium Hills. Also generically called the Forests of Iași, although you might also hear it called Bârnova hills/forests, Dobrovăț hill/forests, or sometimes Păun hills or forest. All these are villages that are around this area. 

This is a very large forested area and the marked trails alone number in the dozens, with even more unmarked trails you can venture on at no risk of trespassing or getting into any kind of trouble, as long as you’re comfortable navigating your way in and out. 

The easiest way to start exploring this area is to get to Releu, which is a large clearing next to the forest on top of the hill, and you’ll have to get there by car as there are no buses, and then go into the forest to the South and follow the marked route (the Eastern, orange line route here, marked with a Red Cross on White in real life). The route keeps going for 15+ km all together, up and down 2 or 3 hills, and it intersects many other routes, forest roads and trails, markets or unmarked, but you don’t have to go this deep if you’re just testing it. Run into the forest for 2-3 km, come back, and repeat. In good weather on summer days, and especially on weekends, Releu itself and the edge of the forest might be relatively crowded, but go a kilometer or so in and you’ll find much more solitude. 

Hiking 

The main locations I recommend for Hiking are Giani’s Tunnel or the Bucium Hills as they are by far the most beautiful. Follow the same details I gave for running in those locations, same trails, same routes, only that you’ll be hiking. 

Especially in autumn, Mid to late October, when the leaves are all yellow and red, these two locations are downright magical. 

What to prepare and be careful about

For all the locations I gave inside the City, there’s nothing special to consider other than getting there. Iași is a safe city, take common sense precautions, but altogether not much to worry about. 

The two locations at the edge of the city, Alea Sadoveanu and the road alongside Lake Venice will vary depending on the time of the year, day of the week and weather, as they’re not really areas where people walk around for purposes other than recreation. That’s never been a problem for me and I’ve never heard of an incident in these areas, but keep it in mind. The alley alongside Lake Venice for example will be full of people, kids, bikes and dogs on a warm June Saturday afternoon, but if you go there at 11 PM on a cold November Tuesday, as I like to do, you’ll most likely be by yourself on a road in the forest. Well lit road, but empty. 

As for the trail running, they’re not in any way prepared for running, they’re “natural” trails through the forest, there will be branches, there will be the occasional root sticking out, the fallen tree here and there, so it’s that kind of running. When it’s muddy, it’s really muddy. When it’s cold in the city, it’s a bit warmer in the forests, but if you go on top of the empty hills, like on the Eastern side of the airport, it will be significantly colder and windier than inside the city or the forests so prepare for that. 

As long as you don’t do anything obviously silly like jumping over a fence and into someone’s yard, you’re not going to accidently trespass or annoy anyone. I typically avoid running in the villages or immediately next to the villages as I don’t want to annoy the dogs because I’ll be continuously barked at from inside all the yards 🙂 I keep my distance from sheepfolds for the same reasons, guard dogs. Other than that, the world is your oyster. 

All in all, freel free to go deep into the forest or on the hills and explore anything you want. As long as you can navigate your way, have the right equipment and know what you’re doing, you’re not going to run into any kind of trouble.