Treznea is a small village in the hills of Sălaj county, eleven kilometres east of Zalău, and its name carries a heavy weight in Romanian history. In September 1940, after northern Transylvania was transferred to Hungary by the Second Vienna Award, Hungarian troops entering the region killed scores of villagers here, Romanians and Jews, in one of the worst atrocities of that time. A memorial in the village remembers the victims. It is a sobering reminder that these quiet hills have seen terrible violence, and a short, respectful stop at the memorial is worth more than any viewpoint on the ride.
Coasta Ciungii is a hillside above the village, where a Roman frontier site, probably a watchtower, has been identified. The Meseș mountains, a low, forested ridge running north-east from Zalău, formed part of the western frontier of Roman Dacia, and the Romans built a line of towers and forts along it. The most important was Porolissum, near Moigrad, north of Zalău, a large military and civilian settlement whose stone gate, amphitheatre and walls have been partly reconstructed.
The riding in the Meseș hills is pleasant, with winding roads through forests of oak and beech, pastures and orchards, and views over the Transylvanian plateau to the east and the Sălaj valley to the west. Roads vary in quality, with some recently resurfaced and others full of potholes. The main road from Zalău to Cluj crosses the ridge at the Meseș pass, with curves and climbs, but also heavy traffic.
Zalău, a town of over sixty thousand, has fuel, supermarkets and a good county museum, with finds from Porolissum. In the villages, look out for local specialities such as smoked meats, cheese and pălincă, the strong fruit brandy of the region. Spring and autumn are the best seasons, when the forests are full of colour and the air is fresh. In wet weather, the clay lanes up to the ridge turn greasy, so stick to tarmac and walk the last bit if you want to stand where the Roman sentries stood.