The village between the hazelnut trees. That was once the village's name. Later, it decided to borrow the name of the same trees that surrounded it. Long ago the village was thriving: it had over 100 locals and it was known to be as one of the richest villages from Ținutul Pădurenilor. However, what brought the village's fame was its church. It is said that the church is the only marble church to be ever built. Even though a marble quarry can be found nearby the village, it was said that its Italian and Hungarian owners did not lot the locals to take its marble for the church's construction. Therefore, the locals decided to get their marble from another source, as mentioned in the catalogue “Incredibilul Ținut al Pădurenilor și Țara Hațegului – insula tropicală din Oceanul Thetys”.
The church and the marble road
There are 40 villages in Ținutul Pădurenilor, Alun being one of them. No matter which one you choose, hiking and walking will be a complete joy. For example, Alun's road is also made of marble. 2 kilometres of marble, used for the road's construction. If you decide to visit Alun, it is recommended to travel by an off-road car, as the road is not that good. Today the village is almost abandoned. You will see that most of the houses have their locks on the gates, which is common yet still not that much, in the other villages. The bright side is the experience makes the whole village seem like a museum.
A fairytale-like trail
Whoever decides to visit Alun is also welcome to make a stop at Ghelari to admire the splendid church built by father Nerva Florea. It is said to be one of the largest churches in the rural area of Romania. Therefore, the church was named Pădurenilor's Cathedral. If you decided to spend more than a few days to experience the local food and hiking through the trails, we can guarantee you will not be bored. The authorities provide maps which show seven different trails. These are, with their respective names: Drumul băieșilor, Drumul marmurei (marble's road), Aventură în Pădurenime, Valea Runcului, Drumul fierului (iron's road) and Drumul ecumenic și Mănăstire – Lac Cinciș. The detailed map can be found at the Ghelari Tourist Information Center. After you admire the Retezat mountains, Sureanu, Apuseni mountains along with the Small Mountain you are free to head wherever you please!
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