Here the Olt does something that rivers are not supposed to do: it cuts straight through the Carpathians. Between Sibiu and Râmnicu Vâlcea the river runs through a gorge that the Romans knew well, and Racovița lies in its southern stretch, where steep wooded slopes close in on both sides. The Romans built forts along it as part of the Limes Alutanus, and the name Praetorium on our list is one of those, a small fort that guarded the road along the water. Not far away, Caput Stenarum, near Boița, held the pass at the northern end of the gorge.
The road that follows the Olt today, the DN7, is the main route between Transylvania and the south, and it has a reputation. Lorries grind along it in both directions, the bends are tight, and passing is risky, so it is a road you take with patience, rather than speed. At the same time the scenery is excellent, with forest, rocks and the river below, and a short way along, the Cozia monastery, built in the fourteenth century by the Wallachian prince Mircea the Elder, stands on the bank, with its fine proportions and royal tombs. The mountains above are part of the Cozia National Park.
Riding the gorge is best on a weekday morning, when traffic is lighter, or in the shoulder seasons, since summer weekends bring queues. The surface is generally fine but patched, and rockfall or roadworks can slow things down. From Cârțișoara, further north, the Transfăgărășan climbs to more than two thousand metres, which most riders consider the great prize of the region, though it is closed by snow for much of the year and usually opens around the end of June.
Brezoi, about eight kilometres away, is a small town with fuel and food, and Călimănești, down the valley, is a spa town with hot springs, hotels and restaurants. The river is popular with anglers and rafters. A coffee at a lay-by cafe, with the noise of lorries behind you and the green water in front, is part of the Olt experience.