Hostels in Bacau, Romania

Bacau is located on the east side of the Eastern Carpathians in the lower reaches of the River Bistrita, a few kilometers before its confluence with the Seret River. Bacau was first mentioned in the early fifteenth century. It was part of the Principality of Moldavia, which was for several centuries a tribute of the Ottoman Empire. The town was a center on an important trade route in Moldavia. During the Russian-Turkish War in the eighteenth century, the town was destroyed. Like in almost all cities in Moldova, there was a large Jewish community in Bacau that was almost completely eradicated by deportation and emigration during and after World War II.

There is not so much to do and see in Bacau, as it is rather industrial and definitely not a touristic city. It was and still is a city where salt is produced, which is very important for the local economy. Among the things worth visiting are the Virgin Church, the Slanic Salt Museum, the Salt Union, and a few other churches. Nightlife is not anything spectacular, either, but there are enough students so there are some nice local pubs and restaurants where you can try “mamaliga” -- a special dish of corn flower.

There are relatively few hostels in Bacau, as the hostel business is a rather new thing in this not-so-touristic Romanian city. Despite that, the conditions of Bacau hostels are better than what could be expected with such weak competition and they are way above average. Prices of hostels in Bacau are low even by Romanian standards and you can have a nice budgeted stay. The only problem is that most Bacau hostels are not located in the very center of the city and you might have to walk fifteen minutes to reach the main sights.