The Meseș mountains rise to the west of Zalău like a long green wall, and they formed the natural western boundary of Roman Dacia in this region. Along their crest and on the slopes above the plains, the Romans built a line of watchtowers, and the site above the fields with the evocative name of Șesurile Tâlhăroasei, roughly the robbers' flats, near the villages of Treznea and Aghireș, is one of them. It is part of the Dacian frontier on the World Heritage list. Up in the forest the remains are modest, but the position, high on a slope with a view over the valley, shows how the frontier used every advantage of the terrain.
Zalău, a few kilometres away, is the capital of Sălaj county, a modest industrial town with a pleasant centre, a county museum full of Roman finds from Porolissum and the surrounding sites, and an art museum. The village of Treznea has a darker place in history: in September 1940, after northern Transylvania was transferred to Hungary, Hungarian troops killed dozens of villagers there, and a memorial commemorates the victims. The countryside today is peaceful, with meadows, beech woods and small villages, but these hills have seen many conflicts.
The road over the Meseș mountains, from Zalău towards Cluj-Napoca, climbs through forest in a series of bends, with good views of the hills and valleys, and it is one of the more enjoyable stretches in the area. It is a main road, however, with heavy truck traffic, so overtaking needs care. Smaller roads along the foot of the mountains, through Treznea, Agrij and Hurez, are quieter and narrower, sometimes rough, with steep sections and sharp turns. The forests here are home to deer, wild boar and the occasional bear, so be careful at dusk.
Zalău, about eight kilometres away, has fuel, supermarkets, hotels and restaurants. The villages have small shops, and some guesthouses offer home-cooked meals. In the autumn, the beech forests of the Meseș turn gold and red and the light is soft, the most beautiful season to ride here. Try a bowl of ciorbă, sour soup, with fresh bread, and look out for the honey from the mountain villages, which is sold at the roadside in summer.