Poarta Meseșană, the Meseș Gate, is the narrow pass through the Meseș Mountains that has carried travellers between Transylvania and the Hungarian plain for two thousand years. The Romans knew it, and watched it. Not far north of Zalău, on the heights above the pass, the Roman town and fort of Porolissum guarded this entrance to the province of Dacia, and its amphitheatre, customs post and the remains of the frontier wall can still be seen on the hill at Moigrad. The ridge to the south, where Meseșenii de Sus lies, was part of the same defensive landscape, with watchtowers on the high points.
Coasta Ciungii, the slope of the crippled one, if you take the old word literally, is one of several hill names near the village, and the point lies about six kilometres from Meseșenii de Jos. The Meseș range is a long, low backbone, thickly forested, rarely rising above a thousand metres, and its slopes are a patchwork of beech wood, pasture and orchard. From its crest, on a clear day, the plain opens to the west and the Carpathians rise to the east.
Geologically, the Meseș is a mix of crystalline rock and limestone, with small caves and rock outcrops, and a few springs that rise at its foot. Wildlife includes roe deer, wild boar and foxes, with wolves and lynx in the wilder woods further east, and the bird life in summer ranges from buzzards and honey buzzards to hoopoes in the open farmland.
Riding the minor roads here means narrow strips of tarmac, steep short gradients and many blind bends, with patched or gravel surfaces at times. Take care in the hills when it rains, since the clay turns greasy, and watch for animals on the road, especially at dusk. In winter, snow and ice make some of the smaller roads impassable for a motorcycle. A visit to Porolissum is a good detour, and its site museum helps with the layers.
Fuel is easy in Zalău, a city of over sixty thousand, a short ride away, and basic supplies are available in the larger villages. Try a village shop for bread, sausage and cheese, and a roadside bar for coffee.
Spring and early autumn have the best light and the least mud.