# Bacău

Bacău is a city in eastern Romania in the region of Moldavia and had a population of 136,087 as of 2021. The municipality of Bacău covers an area of ​​43 km² and is at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, and on the Bistrița River. Also, the Ghimeș Pass links the city to the region of Transylvania, making for a possible stopover on the way through.

## Understand

Bacău is the seat of the county of the same name and is located on the Bistrița river, from where part of the local consumption is covered thanks to the hydroelectric plant located on it. An advantage in visiting this city is the fact that it has an international airport that provides regular flights to various national and European destinations.
Another advantage of Bacău is its positioning in close proximity to the subcarpathian fault line. It is on flat or gently sloping terraces with an east and south-east exposure in stabilized ponds, having good drainage and a rich water table. The nearby meadows and terraces are used for the cultivation of fruit trees, vines and cereals. The position and the natural setting made Bacăul experience a rapid development since the Middle Ages, thus becoming an important crossroads of the main commercial arteries in the central-western part of Moldova.

### History

In the opinion of some great Romanian writers, the name of Bacău comes from the Hungarian language, the mention of the city on an official document dating back to the year 1399. In the archives of various documents, the city of Bacău appears as Bacovia or Ad Bacum. Once upon a time, on these lands there were extensive forests where herds of bison lived, at the Museum of Moldova in Bacău a unique bison head was found, and an important collection of historical documents and old manuscripts.

## Get in

Bacău is located in the north-eastern part of the country and is bordered to the north by the communes of Hemeiuș and Săucești, to the east by the commune of Letea Veche, and to the south by the communes of Măgura, Mărgineni and Luizi-Călugăra.

### By train

* 46.56555626.8952781 Bacău railway station (Gara Bacău), Piața Gării 1 (2.5 km from the city center, available transport services to the center are bus and taxi (€0.40/km)). (updated Jul 2021)
The city is well-connected by train with Bucharest, Brasov, Suceava, Iasi, Constanta. A train ticket from Bucharest to Bacău costs around €15 when using the most expensive and luxurious option, the Inter-City train. Romanian National Rail Transportation$^{[deadlink]}$ runs the connections between Bacău and other cities.

### By bus

* 46.56545726.8958822 Stația Gară (near the railway station). (updated Jul 2023)

### By plane

* 46.52194426.9102783 George Enescu International Airport (BCM ). Also called Bacau airport. Offered are international flights and no domestic flights. (updated Mar 2024)

### By car

The main roads to Bacău have been repaired and are in very good condition (E85, or DN2, is the best-maintained road in Romania, but also the road with the largest number of car accidents).
Reaching Bacău from Bucharest involves travelling 290 km on E85 (expressway), which takes 3–4 hr by car (5–6 hr during the winter). When exiting Bucharest, the best route is via Colentina Boulevard. It is the exit towards Urziceni, Buzău, Focșani, Iasi and Suceava.
Other ways of reaching Bacău by car are Brasov(E574), Iasi (E85 + E583), Vaslui (DN2F), Botoșani (E85 + E583 + E58).

## Get around

There are 2 basic ways of getting around the city: by car or by public transport, which comprises mostly of buses.

### By bus

The linear structure of the city makes it virtually impossible to get lost, and the local transport fast and reliable. A normal one-way ticket will cost you around 3 lei. The main bus lines are: 3, 17, 18 and 22, of which only the 22 has a different route: from the south entrance in the city (from Bucharest) where all the hypermarkets are towards Arena Mall. The rest have the same starting point, but go towards the train station, following various yet close routes.

### By car

The city's main roads are in excellent state, but there is a noticeable lack of parking spaces. Parking is free almost anywhere in the city. The town has a length of about 20 km (north-to-south), but this distance is littered with traffic lights. There is an alternative route—make a left turn just before Narcisa Bridge (about 4 km from the Metro hypermarket, coming in from the south). The road will lead you around the city (with a beautiful view of it) to the road to Transylvania (left turn about half the way, or left where the road ends into a Y intersection), through the outskirts. If you want to go to Roman or further on to Suceava or Iași, you have to go through the city centre, and over Șerbănești Bridge over the Bistrița River.

## See

* 46.566126.912381 Bacovia Theater. One of the few remaining historical buildings in Bacau (1929). (updated Feb 2025)
* 46.5642426.911712 The Bacău Prefecture. Opened in 1890. (updated Feb 2025)
* 46.5628826.916793 Precista Church. Opened in 1491. (updated Feb 2025)
* 46.57006526.9081784 George Bacovia Memorial House, Str. George Bacovia nr. 13, ☏ +40 234 514324. M-F 08:00-16:00; Sa Su closed. The memorial house of the famous Symbolist poet George Bacovia. The collection is comprised of about 400 hundred objects like manuscripts, original editions of his poem volumes, photographies, furniture.
* 46.57006526.9081785 Iulian Antonescu Museum, Str. 9 Mai, nr. 7, ☏ +40 234 512444. Tu-Su 09:00-17:00.
* 46.558726.904656 Natural Sciences Museum. (updated Jul 2023)
* 46.5656426.904167 V. Anestin Astronomical Complex. (updated Jul 2023)

## Do

Whether you want to take a walk around 46.5837326.92311 Bacău Lake or through 46.5591626.906042 Cancicov Park, or visit the Ruins of the Royal Court. You can enjoy all of this without a regret.

## Buy

* 46.5802926.915281 Arena Mall, Str. Ștefan cel Mare, 28. The largest mall in the Moldova region is in Bacau.

## Eat

Of course you can't leave here without trying the delicious traditional food and red wine from the area.

## Sleep

* 46.5647426.908681 Hotel President, Bulevardul Ioniță Sandu Sturza 11, ☏ +40 234 588000. 4 stars, 24 double rooms, 4 single rooms, 4 apartments. (updated Jul 2023)
* 46.5513126.824742 Hotel Helen (located on DN11 (E574), near Magura), ☏ +40 234 990. 4 stars, 38 rooms. (updated Jul 2023)
* 46.5656126.911163 Hotel Decebal, Strada I.S. Sturza, Nr. 2, ☏ +40 234 570020. 3 stars, almost 100 rooms. (updated Jul 2023)
* 46.5622326.911644 Hotel Dumbrava, Str. Dumbrava Roşie. nr. 2, ☏ +40 234 513302. 2 stars, 50 rooms. (updated Jul 2023)

## Go next

* Transylvania