There are two Razboienis in Romania, and the one on the Mures river has nothing to do with the famous battle in Moldavia. This village lies in Alba County, in the broad valley of the Mures where the river runs between the Transylvanian plateau and the western ridge of the Apuseni Mountains, close to the town of Ocna Mures. Ocna means salt mine, and the name is no accident: the ground here sits on enormous salt deposits, and salt has been taken from it since Roman times, with a number of flooded old workings now serving as lakes where people swim in the briny water.
Cetate, in the name, means fortress or citadel, which marks a hill or a ruin of some age, and the label suggests there is a fort or old fortification near the village. The Mures valley was the main corridor of Roman Dacia, linking the old capital at Sarmizegetusa with the military and civil centres of Apulum, near present-day Alba Iulia, and Potaissa at Turda, and it remained the main route through Transylvania long after.
The road along the river is busy and fast, a main artery for lorries and cars, with a mix of straight sections, long curves and village speed limits enforced with cameras and police. The hills on either side are covered in vineyards and orchards, and Aiud, a short way north, is known for its wine. The better riding lies off the main road, on the lanes that climb into the hills, with views across the valley. The Turda Gorge, near Cluj, is a short ride away to the north, a deep limestone canyon that makes a fine detour.
Ocna Mures, two kilometres away, has about fifteen thousand people, fuel stations, shops and basic places to eat, with more in Alba Iulia, the old fortress town to the south, where a huge star-shaped Vauban-style citadel of the eighteenth century is worth seeing. The Mures is also a river for anglers and kayakers, and in summer the banks are busy at weekends. Spring and early autumn are good times for a ride, with comfortable temperatures and long evenings, and you will find that the riverside restaurants serve grilled fish and local wine.