The Romans loved hot water, and at Geoagiu-Băi, in the hills above the Mureș valley, they found it: thermal springs that fed baths at the settlement of Germisara, where soldiers and officials came to bathe and dedicated altars to the nymphs and gods of the waters. The Roman pools carved into the travertine are still visible, and the modern spa uses the same springs. Drumul Romanilor, the Romans' road, recalls the routes that linked the forts and towns of Dacia, and the area is part of the World Heritage listing of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire, Dacia.
Geoagiu itself lies on the Mureș, between Orăștie and Deva, at the foot of the Metaliferi mountains, rich in gold, which was one of the reasons the Romans conquered Dacia. To the south, the Orăștie mountains hold the Dacian fortresses of the kingdom that Trajan defeated in AD 106, including Sarmizegetusa Regia, the Dacian capital, and Costești, listed together as a World Heritage Site.
The landscape here is a mix of the wide Mureș valley, with farmland and villages, and the hills and mountains on either side, covered with forest. The Geoagiu valley, north of the town, is green and quiet, with small villages and pastures.
The riding here is very good: winding roads into the mountains, with good views, little traffic and dramatic scenery. The road to Sarmizegetusa Regia is narrow and climbs through forest, and the Transalpina, one of the highest roads in Romania, starts south of Sebeș, not far east. Surfaces on minor roads vary, and horse carts are common. The main road along the Mureș is busy with trucks.
Geoagiu has a filling station and places to eat, and Orăștie and Deva are larger towns. Deva has a castle on a volcanic hill above the town, reached by a funicular. Try the local food of Hunedoara county, including bulz, polenta balls stuffed with cheese, and the thermal pools of Geoagiu-Băi after a long day on the bike.