The Romans came into the western Carpathian foothills in AD 106, after Trajan's second war against the Dacians, and they decided to keep what they had won. They turned it into the province of Dacia, and on its northwestern edge they drew a frontier along the crest of the Mes mountains, a long, low, forested ridge that runs across northern Transylvania. Along that ridge they built a line of timber towers and small forts, each within sight of the next, so that a watchman could light a fire or wave a signal and the message would run along the whole line in minutes. The frontier zone of Dacia Porolissensis was added to the UNESCO list in 2024 as part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire.
The point labelled Dealul La Frasini 1 belongs to that chain, and the name means the hill at the ash trees. What I can say is the landscape: rolling, wooded hills, meadows cut for hay, and villages of Romanian and Hungarian speakers, with long views across the Sălaj country.
The nearest village on the map is Starciu, small and quiet, so fuel and food are best found at larger towns. The nearest sizeable place is Crasna, about fourteen kilometres away, with some six thousand people, and Zalău, the county capital, is not far off with every service. The roads here are small, often with rough patches and the occasional hole, climbing and falling over the ridges, with horse carts and cattle on them in summer. The pleasure is in the quiet.
The Mes mountains are low, about six hundred or seven hundred metres at the crest, but they feel like a wall when you cross them. Late spring brings meadows full of flowers, and autumn brings beech colours. Winter can bring snow and black ice.
Local food is generous: sheep cheese, smoked bacon, plum brandy and bread baked in a wood oven. Stop at a farm gate and ask.