Place names on a map can be more honest than any guide. That is how much of the prehistory of Transylvania is known: through scatters of pottery and flint on a hillside above a stream, recorded by local museums, with little left to see on the surface.
What the surface does offer is a pleasant slice of rural Romania. The hills here are low and rolling, planted with plum orchards, maize, and hay meadows, with small villages strung along the valleys, each with a church and a cluster of whitewashed houses. The Someș river runs to the south-east, and the Meseș range rises to the west. Plums are the great local crop, and the autumn smell of fermenting fruit and the sight of cauldrons steaming outside farms, where the plum brandy called țuică is distilled, mark the season.
Riding here is gentle and slow. Roads are often narrow and lightly surfaced, with potholes after winter, and the biggest hazards are horse-drawn carts, geese, and the occasional stray dog. On the main roads, lorries and local drivers overtake with enthusiasm, so stay alert on blind bends. Late spring, when the orchards are in blossom and the grass is long, is lovely, and early autumn brings golden light and the harvest. Winter can be snowy, with the minor roads icy for weeks.
Cafes in the villages are simple, but a roadside stall may sell honey, plum jam or cheese.
Ask in the village if you want to see the hillside. People are often happy to point, and a little Romanian goes a long way.