Poieni - Râmbușoi and Chiuiești - Muncelul Chiuieștiului

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Poieni - Râmbușoi

   West of Cluj, the valley of the Crișul Repede cuts through the hills toward the Hungarian plain, and the main road between Transylvania and the west follows it. The village of Poieni and the hill of Râmbușoi lie in this valley, between Huedin and Ciucea, with the forested slopes of the Vlădeasa massif, part of the Apuseni mountains, rising to the south. In Roman times, the frontier of Dacia ran through the hills to the north, along the Meseș mountains, and this corridor was a natural route to watch; hilltop positions in the area formed part of the defensive network, and the larger fort at Bologa guarded the valley nearby.

   Read the complete Poieni - Râmbușoi write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Poieni - Râmbușoi is where the day begins. Next is Tihău - Dealul Cucului.

2. 2. Tihău - Dealul Cucului

   Dealul Cucului means cuckoo hill, and the name fits the place: a low, wooded rise above the village of Tihău, close to the town of Jibou in the Someș valley of Sălaj county, where in spring the cuckoo's call echoes across the meadows. The point belongs to the network of archaeological sites along the Roman frontier of Dacia in the northwest of the province, near the confluence of the Almaș and Someș rivers, a strategic spot where valleys meet and roads cross. As with many of these sites, there may be little to see on the surface, but the location makes sense once you look at the map.

   Read the complete Tihău - Dealul Cucului write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Tihău - Dealul Cucului comes up about 80 km into the recorded legs. Next is Chiuiești - Muncelul Chiuieștiului.

3. 3. Chiuiești - Muncelul Chiuieștiului

   North of Dej, in the hills of Cluj county, the land rises into a rolling upland of pastures, orchards and beech woods, cut by small valleys and dotted with villages. Muncelul Chiuieștiului is one of the hilltops above the village of Chiuiești, and the name is listed among archaeological sites of the Roman frontier in Dacia, which in this region ran along the hills to protect the province from the free Dacians and other peoples to the north. What exactly stood on this hilltop is something to learn from the local signs rather than assume; much of the frontier here consisted of small watchtowers and earthworks that left only faint traces.

   Read the complete Chiuiești - Muncelul Chiuieștiului write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   about 156 km into the recorded legs you reach Chiuiești - Muncelul Chiuieștiului. Next is back through Tihău - Dealul Cucului.

4. 4. back through Tihău - Dealul Cucului

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Tihău - Dealul Cucului write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   back through Tihău - Dealul Cucului, late in the day. Next is Poieni - Râmbușoi.

5. 5. Poieni - Râmbușoi

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Poieni - Râmbușoi write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

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

   Planning note

   Back at Poieni - Râmbușoi. That is the ride.