The Meseș mountains are a low, forested ridge in northwestern Transylvania, and for the Romans they formed a natural wall at the edge of the province of Dacia. Along the ridge, they built a chain of forts, watchtowers and earthworks, and the big fort of Porolissum, near Zalău, was the key to it all, guarding a pass through the mountains used by traders and travellers. In 2024, much of this frontier was listed by UNESCO as part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia, and the site between Treznea and Gura Teghișului is one of its components. On the ground, there is little more than a line of ditches, banks and the foundations of towers, hidden in the forest.
Treznea also carries a much more recent memory. In September 1940, after northern Transylvania was transferred to Hungary, Hungarian troops killed dozens of Romanian and Jewish villagers here, and a memorial in the village remembers the victims. It is a sobering stop, and a reminder of how many borders have shifted across this region.
The landscape is rolling and green, with meadows, orchards and oak and beech forests. The villages are scattered along the valleys, with wooden houses, churches and wells, and the pace of life is slow. The roads are narrow and winding, often with poor surfaces, potholes and gravel, and you will share them with horse carts, cows and sheep. The ride over the Meseș ridge, between Zalău and Cluj, has some nice curves and views, but beware of trucks on the main road.
Zalău, nine kilometres away, is a town of over sixty thousand with fuel, supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, and its history museum displays finds from Porolissum. Treznea and Aghireș are small villages with basic shops. If you have time, visit the reconstructed gate and walls of Porolissum, which give a vivid idea of the Roman presence. Try local dishes such as ciorbă de burtă, tripe soup with garlic and sour cream, or a plate of grilled meats with polenta and pickles.