The mountains around Miercurea Ciuc are the real reward for anyone with a car. The closest and easiest escape is Harghita Băi, a low-key spa and ski resort in the volcanic Harghita range about 45 minutes west of town — beginner ski lifts and snowshoe trails in winter, forest walks and an open-air mineral pool in summer. Beyond it, the wider Harghita ridge and the quiet Hășmaș range offer marked trails through pine forest and old volcanic craters, while the Csík Basin spreads out below with its scattered Székely villages and fortified churches.