Complexul rupestru Aluniș

The Alunis rock complex, in the Buzau area, is a group of monastic settlements carved into stone, set in the sandstone massif at the foot of the Bend Carpathians. Its centrepiece is the rock church of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, hewn into the cliff face and still used by the local community as a place of worship. Around it survive cells, niches and inscriptions that testify to an ancient tradition of hermit life, linked to the wider phenomenon of rock settlements across the Buzau region.

The place has a hushed, austere atmosphere suited to contemplation, while the landscape of wooded hills adds a wild note. Alunis forms part of a circuit that includes other grottoes and hermitages carved in stone. Reaching it involves a short climb along a footpath, so comfortable shoes are advisable.