The Năsăud country in northern Transylvania has a history that the rest of Europe barely noticed. In 1762 the Habsburg authorities set up a military frontier here, enrolling local Romanian peasants as border guards in return for land and privileges, and for nearly a century the villages of the region lived under a mix of farm work and army discipline. The result was a surprisingly literate, organised society, with schools and a strong sense of identity, which produced a number of poets and writers. The novelist Liviu Rebreanu was born in the nearby village of Târlișua, and the poet George Coșbuc grew up not far from here.
Dumbrăveni, whose name means oak grove, sits in this soft landscape of rolling hills, orchards and beech woods, in the valley of the Someșul Mare river system. The label Dealul Sflederului, Hill of the Drill, points to a hilltop spot, and the ride list pairs it with a place called Bârsău Mare Cetate, so these are probably points on old hill-forts or defensive sites.
Ciceu-Giurgești has about four thousand people, with a shop, a bakery and some fuel, and Negrilești is smaller. The sensible rider fills up in Beclean or Năsăud, both larger towns, before going into the hills. The road network is a mix of main roads with trucks and rough local lanes, so surfaces vary from smooth to gravelled, and the corners can hide mud or manure after rain. Villages have a stray dog or two and a handful of geese that treat the road as theirs.
The Rodna mountains rise to the north, with peaks over two thousand metres and a national park of alpine meadows, a day's ride away if the weather is clear. In late summer and autumn the plums are ripe, and people turn them into țuică, the traditional brandy, so ask if someone offers a sip. Spring brings blossom, and the hills hum with bees. Winters can be cold and snowy, but the roads are usually cleared, and the quiet of a frozen valley is something to remember.