South of the Mures and west of the Retezat massif, the Hateg country is an oddly self-contained basin, ringed by mountains and full of old stories. Bosorod lies on its eastern side, near the town of Pui, in a landscape of meadows, small farms and wooded slopes that rise gradually toward the Orastie Mountains. This is where the Dacians built their strongholds, and the fortress at Banita, which shares the label with Jigoru Mare, is one of six that make up the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains.
The Dacians, who lived in what is now Romania, had a powerful kingdom under Burebista and later Decebalus, and in the early second century AD they fought two wars against the Roman emperor Trajan. They lost, and the fortresses were destroyed or occupied, but the stonework survives, laid in the distinctive style known as murus dacicus, a mix of dressed blocks and timber ties. The Hateg basin was also the setting for the Roman provincial capital, Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, whose ruins lie nearby. The area has more surprises: Hateg is a famous site of dwarf dinosaurs, which lived on an island here in the Cretaceous, and the little church of Densus nearby is built partly from Roman stone.
The riding is varied and rewarding. The main road through the basin, the DN66 between Petrosani and Deva, has decent surfaces and gentle bends, while the lanes up toward the hills are narrower, steeper and sometimes unpaved. Sheep appear without warning, and in summer, afternoon thunderstorms are common. Fresh air and long views make up for the slow progress. The best time is May to October, and mornings are the most atmospheric.
Pui is a small town with a shop and a few places to eat, but the real fuel stop is Hateg, a town of over ten thousand about seventeen kilometres away. Carry some cash for village shops. If you are offered homemade plum brandy, called tuica, take only a sip if you are riding, and accept the hospitality with a smile.