Câmpulung Muscel lies at the foot of the Carpathians in northern Argeș county, and it claims the title of the first capital of Wallachia. Tradition credits its founding as a princely seat to the legendary Negru Vodă in the thirteenth century, and the old princely court and the Negru Vodă monastery in the town centre recall those early days of the Romanian principality. The town spreads along the valley of the Râul Târgului, with the mountains of Iezer and Piatra Craiului rising steeply to the north.
On the southern edge of town, at a place called Jidova, lie the remains of a Roman fort, one of the northernmost points of the Limes Transalutanus, the frontier line the Romans built in the early third century east of the river Olt. The fort guarded the route north toward the mountain passes into Transylvania, and its stone walls have been excavated and partly displayed, making it one of the more visible Roman sites in the region. It forms part of the ensemble of Roman frontier sites in Romania nominated for UNESCO listing.
That same route is the reason most riders come here. North of Câmpulung, the DN73 climbs through the Rucăr-Bran corridor, a high, open passage between the Bucegi and Piatra Craiului mountains, with villages scattered across alpine meadows and views of jagged limestone ridges. Along the way, the Dâmbovicioara gorge offers a detour into a narrow canyon, and the road eventually descends to Bran, home of the castle marketed as Dracula's, and on to Brașov. The road is well surfaced, with long, flowing curves, though trucks and summer weekend traffic can be heavy.
The hills around Câmpulung are also known for their orchards and their traditions. The town's surroundings produce apples, plums and walnuts, and the villages along the corridor are famous for sheep farming, with cheeses like brânză de burduf, sheep's cheese packed in bark or skins, sold at roadside stalls.
Câmpulung, a town of over thirty thousand people, has fuel, shops and restaurants; Schitu Golești and the other nearby villages offer basic services. Try a plate of local trout or grilled meats, and enjoy the cool mountain air after the heat of the plains. The best time to ride the Rucăr-Bran corridor is from late spring to early autumn, when the meadows are green and the passes are clear of snow.