Ilișua is a small village near Uriu in the valley of the Someș Mare, and in Roman times it was the site of a fort guarding the northern frontier of Dacia. The fort, known in antiquity as Arcobara, housed a cavalry unit, and archaeologists have uncovered its walls, gates and buildings, along with inscriptions and finds now displayed in museums in the region. Like the other sites of the Roman frontier in Romania, it is part of a nomination for UNESCO world heritage, and like most of them, it is now largely fields and grassy banks, with little to see above ground but a great deal of history beneath.
From the fort, the frontier line ran north into the hills toward the Țibleș mountains, a volcanic range rising to over eighteen hundred metres on the border between Bistrița-Năsăud and Maramureș. Watchtowers on the heights allowed the garrison to monitor the approaches, and the view from the higher ground shows why: on a clear day you can see far across the hills toward the mountains of the north. The Țibleș are wild and forested, with beech and spruce woods, meadows and rocky summits, and are home to bears, wolves and deer.
The valley of the Someș Mare is a broad, fertile corridor between Beclean and Năsăud, with villages, orchards and fields along the river, and the main road through it is generally in good condition, with gentle curves and moderate traffic. The roads that lead north into the hills, toward the Țibleș, are narrower and more winding, with steep climbs and some poor surfaces, but they are wonderfully quiet and scenic. The village of Reteag, a few kilometres away, has a manor house and an old church, and the area is dotted with traditional wooden houses and gates.
Căianu Mic, around seven kilometres away, and Beclean have fuel and basic services; Bistrița, the county capital, and Dej have everything a rider might need. In the villages, small shops sell basic supplies, and you may find farm produce for sale by the roadside.
The best time to ride here is from late spring to early autumn, when the roads are clear and the hills are green. In winter, the Țibleș are snowy and cold, and the side roads can be impassable. In the evening, find a guesthouse in one of the villages and enjoy a meal of homemade food, often grown or raised by the hosts themselves.