The Olt is one of Romania's great rivers, and where it cuts through the Southern Carpathians, between Brezoi and Calimanesti, it does so in a long, narrow gorge that has been a corridor for armies and traders for two thousand years. Titesti and Perisani lie just off this corridor, in the hill country that rises on its western side, where the road leaves the traffic behind and climbs through orchards, hay meadows and beech woods. Dealul Cazanului, the Cauldron Hill, is one of those names that points at the shape of the land more than any particular monument.
The Romans knew the value of the valley. After conquering Dacia in the early second century, they built a line of forts and watchtowers along the Olt, known as the Limes Alutanus, to guard the province's southern edge, and the gorge itself was the gateway. Boita, to the north, was the site of a fort called Caput Stenarum, the head of the narrows, a name that says it all. Little remains above ground in most places, since the stone was reused for churches and farms, but the placement of the sites shows how well the Romans read a landscape.
The modern main road, the DN7, runs through the gorge and is busy, with heavy lorries and long queues in summer, so most riders find the side roads far more enjoyable. The lanes around Titesti and Perisani are narrow, with tight curves and patchy asphalt, and the views of the Capatanii and Cozia mountains are splendid, particularly in autumn. Farm tractors, horse carts and wandering sheep are part of the traffic. Weather in the hills can change quickly, with mist in the morning and storms in the afternoon.
Both villages are small, with a shop at most. Brezoi, about twelve kilometres away, is the nearest town with fuel and a market, and Calimanesti, a spa town on the river, has cafes and hotels. If you are lucky, a local will offer you home-made cheese, plum jam or a glass of the region's wine, which is made in small quantities and tastes of the hills.