In the Mureș valley near Ocna Mureș, the village of Războieni-Cetate takes the second half of its name, cetate, fortress, from the Roman fort that once stood here, guarding the road and the river in central Dacia. The fort was a base for a cavalry unit, and its remains, close to the farm buildings of the communist era collective, the CAP, whose stables give the site its odd label, are part of the World Heritage listing of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire, Dacia. Little is visible above ground, but the outline of the fort can be traced in the fields.
Ocna Mureș, two kilometres away, is a town built on salt. Salt has been mined here since Roman times, and the town's salt lakes, formed in collapsed mines, are used for bathing in summer. The salt was carried down the Mureș by boat, and the river was a major trade route through Transylvania. Turda, a short ride north, has one of the most spectacular salt mines in the world, turned into an underground park with a Ferris wheel and a lake.
The landscape of the Mureș valley is wide and agricultural, with hills on either side, orchards, vineyards and villages. The Trascău mountains to the west offer dramatic limestone gorges, such as the Turda Gorge and the Râmeț monastery valley, and quiet roads.
The riding here is pleasant, with the main road along the Mureș busy with trucks, but the minor roads into the hills and mountains quieter and more scenic. Surfaces vary, and horse carts are common. The road through the Trascău mountains is narrow and winding, a lovely ride.
Ocna Mureș has pumps, a few shops and a guesthouse or two, and Aiud and Alba Iulia, to the south, are larger towns. Alba Iulia has a huge star fortress and is where the union of Transylvania with Romania was proclaimed in 1918. Try the local wines of the Târnave region and the hearty food of Transylvania.