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"People refer to this spot a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states a tour guide, the air from his lungs creating clouds of condensation in the chilly evening air. "Numerous people have gone missing here, some say there's a gateway to a parallel world." Marius is guiding a traveler on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of bizarre occurrences here date back a long time – this woodland is called after a area shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a flying saucer hovering above a circular clearing in the heart of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But no need to fear," he adds, facing the visitor with a smile. "Our excursions have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in meditation experts, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from around the globe, interested in encountering the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being a top global pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is facing danger. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of more than 400,000 people, called the tech capital of Eastern Europe – are advancing, and real estate firms are pushing for approval to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Aside from a small area containing regionally uncommon oak varieties, the grove is not officially protected, but the guide is confident that the initiative he co-founded – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, motivating the local administrators to recognise the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their footwear, Marius describes numerous traditional stories and alleged supernatural events here.

• A popular tale describes a little girl disappearing during a group gathering, then to rematerialise after five years with complete amnesia of the events, having not aged a single day, her clothes without the tiniest bit of dust.
• Frequent accounts describe cellphones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions vary from absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals state noticing strange rashes on their arms, hearing disembodied whispers through the forest, or feel palms pushing them, even when certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

Despite several of the accounts may be unverifiable, there are many things visibly present that is definitely bizarre. All around are plants whose trunks are curved and contorted into unusual forms.

Different theories have been proposed to account for the misshapen plants: strong gales could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated radiation levels in the soil account for their crooked growth.

But research studies have discovered inconclusive results.

The Famous Clearing

Marius's walks allow guests to take part in a modest investigation of their own. When nearing the clearing in the woods where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO pictures, he passes his guest an electromagnetic field detector which detects electromagnetic fields.

"We're venturing into the most powerful part of the forest," he says. "See what you can find."

The trees suddenly stop dead as they step into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's obvious that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this bizarre meadow is organic, not the result of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a location which inspires creativity, where the line is indistinct between fact and folklore. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting creatures, who rise from their graves to haunt local communities.

The famous author's well-known vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a Saxon monolith situated on a stone formation in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But despite folklore-rich Transylvania – literally, "the place beyond the forest" – feels real and understandable versus the haunted grove, which seem to be, for reasons nuclear, environmental or simply folkloric, a center for fantasy projection.

"Inside these woods," Marius comments, "the line between truth and fantasy is very thin."