Székely Land, in the eastern part of Transylvania, is the home of a Hungarian-speaking community whose ancestors were placed here in the Middle Ages to guard the eastern frontier of the Kingdom of Hungary, and the same job had been done a thousand years earlier by the Romans. Near the village of Inlăceni, in the hills of Harghita county, stand the remains of a Roman fort, one of the eastern bastions of Dacia, facing the Carpathians and the passes beyond. The stone walls, gates and corner towers can still be traced in a meadow on a hilltop, and the setting, with forests all around and the mountains on the horizon, is one of the most beautiful of all the sites on the Dacian frontier listed by UNESCO.
The region is rich in surprises. A short ride north-east, the village of Corund is famous for its pottery, with dozens of workshops and roadside stalls selling bowls, plates and jugs painted in blue, green and brown. Further north, Praid has one of the largest salt mines in the country, which you can visit deep underground, and Sovata, a little spa town, has the Bear Lake, a salt lake whose surface warms up like a natural solar collector. Odorheiu Secuiesc, the main town of the area, has a pleasant centre and a strong Hungarian character, and signs are often bilingual.
The riding is excellent. The roads between Odorheiu Secuiesc, Corund and Praid wind through hills and forests with good surfaces and moderate traffic, and further east, the road over the Harghita mountains towards Miercurea Ciuc climbs through dense spruce forests to a high pass. To the west, the road to Sighișoara descends through rolling countryside of Saxon villages and fortified churches. Watch out for horse carts, especially in the villages, and for bears, which are common in the forests of Harghita and occasionally cross the road at dusk.
Corund and Odorheiu Secuiesc have fuel, shops and restaurants. Try kürtőskalács, the chimney cake, a sweet bread rolled on a spit and baked over coals, then coated with sugar or walnuts, and the hearty Székely dishes, such as goulash soup and stuffed cabbage. Guesthouses are plentiful and welcoming, and many have their own pálinka to offer.