Spermezeu is the kind of place a road atlas barely notices: a commune of scattered villages in the hills of Bistrița-Năsăud, in northern Transylvania, between the upper Someș valley and the Țibleș mountains. The site of Dobricel, on the hilltop known as Vârful Lazului, is one of the many archaeological places recorded in the area, a high point above the valleys where traces of earlier inhabitants have been noted. There is not much to see without an archaeologist's eye, but the hilltop and the country around it are a good excuse for a ride through a region few foreigners ever visit.
This is a landscape of rounded hills, orchards, hay meadows and beech woods, with villages strung along the streams. Life still follows the seasons, with haymaking in summer, plum picking in autumn and pig slaughtering before Christmas. Many houses have carved wooden gates and verandas, and the churches range from old wooden buildings to newer, larger ones built with money sent home by villagers working abroad. Spermezeu, Dobric and Negrilești are small communities, each with a church, a shop and perhaps a bar.
The roads in this part of Transylvania are a mix of tarmac and gravel, with the main roads generally in decent condition and the side roads narrow, rough and sometimes muddy. Climbing to the hilltops brings wide views over the hills, towards the mountains of Rodna and Țibleș to the north and east. The riding is slow but rewarding, with little traffic, apart from tractors, carts and the occasional flock of sheep. Dogs guarding the sheep can be aggressive, so ride past them slowly and calmly.
Fuel is not available in every village, so fill up in a larger town before heading into the hills. Căianu Mic, about eight kilometres away, is the nearest town of over five thousand people, and Beclean and Bistrița are the larger centres in the area. The food in village guesthouses is home cooked and generous, with soups, stews, cheese and fresh bread, and the plum brandy flows freely. The weather is continental, with hot summers, cold winters and frequent thunderstorms in the afternoons in summer, which can turn dirt roads into mud in minutes.