The Romans called it Tibiscum, and it stood where two rivers meet, at the entrance to a pass. Near the village of Iaz, close to the town of Caransebes in the Banat region of south-western Romania, are the remains of what was once one of the more important Roman towns of Dacia, with a military fort and a civil settlement that grew beside it. The site lies at the junction of the Timis and Bistra rivers, on the road that led through the narrow pass known as the Iron Gate of Transylvania, and its position explains its importance: whoever held it controlled the route from the Danube plain into the Transylvanian heartland. Soldiers and traders left behind bath buildings, workshops, inscriptions and the outline of a fort, and a small museum nearby displays what has been found.
Tibiscum is part of the World Heritage listing of the Dacian frontier of the Roman Empire, and the ride connects it with Sarmizegetusa, the colonial capital of the province, in the Hateg basin on the other side of the pass. To go from one to the other is to follow the old Roman route, through a landscape of forested hills and open meadows. The road crosses the Iron Gate pass between the Retezat massif to the south, with its glacial lakes and peaks above two and a half thousand metres, and the Tarcu mountains, and it is a good, smooth road with gentle gradients and long, flowing bends.
Caransebes, with about twenty-seven thousand people, is a lively market town with fuel, supermarkets and hotels, the place to stock up before the mountains. The area is multi-ethnic, with Romanians, Serbs, Hungarians and Germans mixed together over centuries, and the food reflects this, with grilled meats, stuffed peppers and sweet pastries on the menu. The nearby hills produce plums and apples, and the local brandy is strong. In the lowlands, summer can be very hot, while in the mountains, it is cooler and often foggy in the mornings.
Be careful on the main road, because lorries are numerous and the overtaking can be bold. Quiet side roads lead to villages and sheepfolds, where shepherds keep large guard dogs that deserve respect. The best months are May to October, and September has the clearest air and the warmest light. In winter, the pass can be snowy and icy, and the temperature drops well below freezing, so check conditions before you set out. A walk around the Roman remains takes less than an hour and is easy to combine with lunch.