Salt has shaped this part of Transylvania as much as any river. The hills of the eastern Transylvanian basin sit on enormous salt deposits, and the springs and lakes are often salty, as in Sărățeni, whose name says it all, and where a small salt museum explains the history. Ideciu de Sus, a village in the Mureș valley above Reghin, lies in this country, and the hill of Dealul Custurii nearby carried a Roman watchtower on the eastern frontier of Dacia, included in UNESCO's inscription of 2024. The Romans valued salt highly, and controlling the deposits was one reason they kept a watchful eye on these hills.
A little further east, the town of Praid has one of the largest salt mines in Europe, now partly open to visitors, and Sovata has a famous heliothermal lake, Lacul Ursu, the bear lake, whose salty water stays surprisingly warm at depth because of the way it traps the sun's heat. These are the hills of the Székely Land, where Hungarian is the language spoken in most villages, with carved wooden gates and painted churches. The valley of the Mureș, here broad and green, is lined with fields and orchards.
The riding is pleasant and varied. The road along the Mureș is fast and easy, and the side roads into the hills toward Sovata and Praid climb through forests with curves and views. The surface varies from good to rough, and there are horse carts and livestock on the roads. The Gurghiu mountains to the north offer remote roads through forests where bears are common. Weather is mild in summer, with occasional storms, and cold and snowy in winter. Autumn is particularly beautiful.
The villages around Ideciu have small shops; for fuel and services, Reghin, about seven kilometres away, is the obvious choice. Food in the region mixes Romanian and Hungarian traditions: goulash, kürtőskalács, the chimney cake roasted on a spit and rolled in sugar, soups and stews. The Roman site is modest, but the view over the valley is good, and the combination of salt, history and gentle hills makes for a fine day's riding. Finish with a float in a salt lake, if you have time; it is the best possible cure for a sore back.