Salt has shaped this corner of Transylvania for thousands of years. Beneath the hills of the Sovata and Praid area lies a huge salt dome, and in places it reaches the surface, creating salt cliffs, salty springs and lakes. Sărățeni, a village in the Târnava Mică valley, takes its name from the salt, and Casa Sării, the salt house, is the local name for the spot marked here. The Romans valued this salt as much as Dacian gold, and the eastern frontier of their province ran along these hills, with a fort at Sărățeni among the posts that watched the valleys and, no doubt, the salt routes.
The area is in the Székely Land, where most people speak Hungarian, and the villages have carved wooden gates, fortified churches and a strong sense of identity. Sovata, six kilometres away, is a spa town, famous for Lake Ursu, the bear lake, a heliothermal lake where the salt water is warmer at depth than at the surface, creating unusual conditions for bathing. Praid, nearby, has a salt mine open to visitors, with vast underground chambers used as a sanatorium and leisure area.
The Corund area, to the east, is known for its pottery, and the road between Sovata, Praid and Corund is lined with stalls selling ceramics, wood carvings and textiles.
For riders, the roads in the area are pleasant, with gentle curves through hills, forests and valleys, and the road from Sovata over the Bucin pass toward Gheorgheni climbs through forests to over 1,200 metres, with good views. Traffic is moderate, and surfaces are generally good, though some side roads are rough. Sovata has fuel, shops and accommodation. Roadside grills in the Székely villages turn out mici and goulash, and the bakeries sell kürtőskalács, rolled in sugar and walnuts, warm from the spit. Summer is the busiest time, so consider spring or autumn for a quieter visit.