Octavian Goga is the reason many Romanians have heard of Ciucea. He was a poet, a nationalist politician and, briefly, prime minister in 1937 and 1938, and he died in his castle in the village in 1938. The building, a handsome mansion on a hill with a view over the valley of the Crișul Repede, is now a museum, and the poet's grave lies nearby.
What I do know is that the region has a long history of crossing. For centuries, the valley of the Crișul Repede has been the highway between Transylvania and the Hungarian plain, used by Roman soldiers, Hungarian armies, Ottoman raiders and now the railway and the E60. Villages in the side valleys kept to themselves, and their traditions of costume, carving and song survived into the twentieth century. The nearby Apuseni Mountains, home to the Moți, are known for their wooden houses and for the distinct way people there herd sheep and gather in fairs on the mountain tops.
For a rider, the pleasure is in turning off the main road. The E60 is crowded with lorries, but a few kilometres to the side, the lanes are empty and green, with orchards, haystacks and wooden barns. The surface is a bit rough, and corners can be sharp. In summer, the heat is moderate, and thunderstorms in the afternoon bring fresh air. Spring, with blossoms and a high river, and autumn, with the red and gold of the beech, are the best times. Early morning mist often fills the valleys until nine or ten.
Ciucea has fuel, a few shops and cafes, and a train station on the Cluj to Oradea line, and Huedin, to the east, has a larger selection. Roadside tables sell honey, jam and plum brandy, and in the village restaurant you can find stuffed cabbage with polenta.
Stop at the castle if you have time. The view alone is worth the climb.