Jibou is a small town on the Somes river, and it holds a surprise that has nothing to do with Romans. The Wesselenyi family, Hungarian nobles who owned much of this part of Transylvania, built a castle here in the eighteenth century, and its grounds became the town's botanical garden, which is still a garden today, with glasshouses, old trees and flower beds that bring visitors from far afield. It is a quiet, slightly faded estate, and it makes a pleasant hour. Tihau lies six kilometres away, on the same river plain, among low hills that rise toward the Meses range.
The name of this stop, Pe Gradiste, means on the stronghold or on the fort mound, and it is a type of name that turns up all over Romania for any hill with traces of ancient fortification. It is on a ride that links it with Budacu de Jos and the hill known as Dealul Cetatii, hill of the fortress, which suggests that the theme is hilltop forts, perhaps Dacian or Roman, perhaps medieval. Treat it as a viewpoint over the valley of the Somes and a reminder that this ground has been fought over and fortified for two thousand years.
The Somes valley is good riding in a gentle way. The river meanders through meadows and willow, and the road follows it, sometimes straight and fast, sometimes looping through a village. The surface is mixed, with new tarmac in some places and rough patches in others, and lorries are frequent on the main road between Zalau and Cluj. On the back roads, you share the way with horse carts, flocks of geese and old men on bicycles. Summers are warm, autumn is wet and golden, and winter fog lies thick in the valley floor.
Jibou has about eleven thousand people, so you can fill the tank, buy supplies and find a meal. The town also has a good reputation for its pastries, and the local plum brandy is strong. The Hungarian presence in the region shows in the signs and in the food, with goulash and sweet cakes on the menu alongside Romanian dishes. If your timing is right, finish the day at the garden, where the evening light on the old trees is lovely, and the quiet of a country estate settles over everything.