Muncel - Muchia Poienii Lupului and Lozna - Curmăturița 1

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Muncel - Muchia Poienii Lupului

   The name is a mouthful, and a good one: the Ridge of the Wolf's Clearing, on the hill of Muncel, above the Someș valley north-east of Dej. Somewhere along this wooded crest the Romans kept a lookout on the northern border of Dacia, watching the valleys for movement from the free tribes beyond. Watchtowers like this one were the eyes of the frontier, signalling to the forts below, and the site is part of the Dacian frontier inscribed by UNESCO in 2024. On the ground, expect very little: perhaps a low mound, a ditch or scattered stones under the trees. It is a place for imagination and a walk rather than a monument.

   Read the complete Muncel - Muchia Poienii Lupului write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Muncel - Muchia Poienii Lupului is where the day begins. Next is Glod - Toaca Glodului 1.

2. 2. Glod - Toaca Glodului 1

   Between Dej and Jibou the Someș river squeezes through a narrow, winding valley, with the railway, the road and the river taking turns to cross each other. On the hills above, near the village of Glod and the larger villages of Rus and Ileanda, the Romans kept a watch on the north-western edge of Dacia, and Toaca Glodului is one of their watchtower positions, among the components of UNESCO's Dacian frontier listing. Toaca is the name of the wooden board struck in Romanian monasteries to call the monks to prayer, and the hill may owe its name to its shape or to some long-forgotten story.

   Read the complete Glod - Toaca Glodului 1 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Glod - Toaca Glodului 1 comes up about 17 km into the recorded legs. Next is Lozna - Curmăturița 1.

3. 3. Lozna - Curmăturița 1

   Lozna is a village in the northern hills of Sălaj county, close to the Someș river, a place of small farms, orchards and wooden houses, and Curmăturița is a saddle in the hills above it, where a Roman watchtower is thought to have stood. The northern frontier of Roman Dacia ran through this area, following ridges and river valleys, and small towers and forts were placed to watch over the approaches. Today there is little to see, but the view from the saddle, over the rolling hills and the Someș valley, is lovely, and it explains why the Romans chose the spot.

   Read the complete Lozna - Curmăturița 1 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 43 km into the recorded legs you reach Lozna - Curmăturița 1. Next is back through Glod - Toaca Glodului 1.

4. 4. back through Glod - Toaca Glodului 1

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Glod - Toaca Glodului 1 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Glod - Toaca Glodului 1, late in the day. Next is Muncel - Muchia Poienii Lupului.

5. 5. Muncel - Muchia Poienii Lupului

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Muncel - Muchia Poienii Lupului write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Muncel - Muchia Poienii Lupului. That is the ride.