The Olt here is a young river, winding through meadows in the basin north of Sfântu Gheorghe before it bends west across Transylvania. At Olteni, a village on its banks, the Mikó family, one of the noble houses of the Szekler Land, had a manor house set in a park, and the place is linked to one of the Roman sites of the eastern Dacian frontier listed in 2024. The Romans had a fort in this area, guarding the routes through the mountains, and like most sites in the region, little of it can be seen today.
The Szekler nobility built manor houses and small castles across this region, many of them now in various states of repair. The Mikó family is also associated with the castle in Miercurea Ciuc, further north. Olteni's manor reflects a time when these families were the leaders of local society, and the parks and gardens around them were their pride.
Nearby Bodoc is famous across Romania for its mineral water, bottled from springs in the hills, and Malnaş has a small spa with mineral baths. The region is full of such springs, and you can often stop to fill a bottle with fresh, naturally sparkling water. North of here, the Olt passes through the Tuşnad defile, a narrow valley between volcanic mountains, and the spa town of Băile Tuşnad, with Lake Sfânta Ana in a volcanic crater nearby.
Riding in the area is easy and pleasant. The main road along the Olt follows the valley with gentle curves and good surfaces, while side roads into the mountains offer more challenging bends and forest scenery. The road to Lake Sfânta Ana is a beautiful climb through forest, ending at the crater rim. Bears are common in these mountains, and in some places they come close to roads, especially in the evening. Never feed them and keep your distance.
Sfântu Gheorghe, twelve kilometres away, has fuel and services. The local food is Szekler and Hungarian: goulash, paprika chicken, stuffed peppers and chimney cakes. In the evening, a glass of local wine or a shot of pálinka in a village inn is the perfect way to end the day.