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"Locals dub this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, the air from his lungs creating clouds of mist in the cold night air. "Numerous individuals have vanished here, some say there's a gateway to a parallel world." This expert is guiding a visitor on a night walk through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient native woodland on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of strange happenings here go back a long time – the forest is titled for a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, along with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he claimed was a UFO suspended above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But rest assured," he continues, turning to his guest with a smile. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, traditional medicine people, ufologists and paranormal investigators from across the world, curious to experience the mysterious powers reported to reverberate through the forest.

Modern Threats

Although it is one of the world's premier destinations for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is under threat. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and real estate firms are pushing for authorization to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Barring a few hectares containing locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, the grove is lacking legal protection, but Marius is confident that the initiative he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will help to change that, persuading the local administrators to appreciate the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their boots, Marius describes some of the local legends and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story describes a little girl disappearing during a group gathering, then to reappear five years later with no recollection of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a single day, her attire without the slightest speck of dust.
• Frequent accounts detail smartphones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses vary from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Certain individuals report seeing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, perceiving disembodied whispers through the trees, or sense palms pushing them, even when certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the accounts may be unverifiable, there is much clearly observable that is certainly unusual. Throughout the area are vegetation whose trunks are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Various suggestions have been given to clarify the deformed trees: strong gales could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the ground explain their unusual development.

But research studies have discovered no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's tours allow participants to engage in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the forest where Barnea captured his well-known UFO pictures, he passes the visitor an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

"We're entering the most powerful section of the forest," he states. "See what you can find."

The plants abruptly end as we emerge into a complete ring. The sole vegetation is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's obvious that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this bizarre meadow is wild, not the creation of people.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a area which stirs the imagination, where the line is indistinct between reality and legend. In rural Romanian communities superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting vampires, who return from burial sites to haunt nearby villages.

The famous author's renowned character Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building located on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – feels tangible and comprehensible versus these eerie woods, which appear to be, for causes nuclear, atmospheric or simply folkloric, a hub for human imaginative power.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide states, "the line between truth and fantasy is remarkably blurred."