At Buciumi the Romans built a proper fort, not just a tower. It was an auxiliary fort on the frontier of Dacia Porolissensis, a rectangle of earth and stone walls with corner towers and gates, big enough to house a unit of a few hundred men, and it stood on a spur overlooking the approaches from the north. Excavations in the twentieth century found barracks, a headquarters building and a bathhouse. The fort was part of the chain of installations along the Mes ridge, and in 2024 it was recognised by UNESCO as one of the sites of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire in Romania.
But the landscape is clear. This is the northern edge of the Transylvanian hills, where the ridges of the Mes mountains rise in forested steps above the plain of the Salaj. Meadows are mowed by hand, haystacks stand in autumn, and orchards of plums and apples cover the lower slopes. Villages are scattered and small, with wooden barns and tall wells.
A fort like this had a long working life. Troops were stationed here for generations, and with them came traders, craftsmen and families, building a small civilian settlement outside the walls. Archaeologists find coins, pottery, tools and tombstones, which tell of soldiers from many parts of the empire, who married local women and settled down. The frontier was a mixing zone, much as it is today in this part of Romania, with Romanian, Hungarian and Roma communities living close together.
The nearest town of size is Crasna, where you will find fuel, shops and a bank, and the county town of Zalau is a short ride further. The roads are small and winding, with patchy surfaces and sudden holes. Cattle and horse-drawn carts are everyday hazards. A relaxed pace suits the countryside. Spring and early autumn are the best seasons, with golden light in October and the smell of woodsmoke.
If you see an old man leaning on a gate, ask him about the fort: local people usually know where the stones came from.