The Homoród valley runs south through the Székely land of Harghita county, a gentle, green valley between wooded hills, with villages of whitewashed churches and carved gates. Ocland is one of them, a small village with a fortified church, and on a hill above it stood a medieval castle, Cetatea Hășmașului, of which only traces remain. The rides that pass here connect it with the fortified churches of Transylvania, the extraordinary defensive churches built by the Saxon and Székely communities in the Middle Ages to protect themselves from Tatar and Ottoman raids.
Some of the finest of those churches lie within easy reach. Viscri, a Saxon village to the southwest, has a fortified church with white walls and towers set on a hill, part of the UNESCO site of the Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania, and the village itself, with its colourful houses and unpaved streets, has become famous. Closer at hand, the Székely villages of the Homoród valley have their own fortified churches, smaller but no less charming.
Nature is also a highlight. The Vârghiș gorge, to the east, is a narrow limestone canyon with dozens of caves, some of them inhabited in prehistoric times. Băile Homorod, further north, is a small spa resort in the forest, with mineral springs and wooden villas. The forests here are home to brown bears, wolves and deer, and you may see bear warning signs on the roads.
The riding is pleasant and varied. The road through the Homoród valley is gentle, with long straights and easy bends, while the side roads climb into the hills, with steeper gradients, tighter corners and rougher surfaces. The roads through the forest are quiet and beautiful, especially in autumn, when the beech and oak turn gold and red. Watch for gravel, potholes, livestock and horse-drawn carts.
Ocland is a small village with basic shops; for fuel and full services, head to Odorheiu Secuiesc, to the north. Spring and autumn are the best seasons; summer can be hot, and winter brings snow and ice. Local food is hearty: try goulash, cabbage dishes or a plate of fresh cheese with polenta. Take a moment at a fortified church, walk around the walls, and imagine villagers sheltering inside as raiders swept across the hills.