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"They call this location an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, the air from his lungs producing puffs of mist in the chilly night air. "So many people have vanished here, many believe it's an entrance to another dimension." The guide is escorting a traveler on a night walk through commonly known as the planet's most ghostly forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here go back a long time – this woodland is called after a local shepherd who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, together with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a UFO suspended above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he states, addressing his guest with a grin. "Our guided walks have a flawless completion rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from around the globe, eager to feel the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

Despite being among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, this woodland is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, described as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are advancing, and construction companies are pushing for approval to cut down the woods to build apartment blocks.

Barring a few hectares containing locally rare oak varieties, the grove is not officially protected, but Marius hopes that the company he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, motivating the authorities to appreciate the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their shoes, the guide tells numerous folk tales and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale describes a five-year-old girl disappearing during a family outing, later to rematerialise five years later with no memory of her experience, without aging a moment, her attire shy of the slightest speck of dust.
• Regular stories describe smartphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses include absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals report observing strange rashes on their skin, hearing disembodied whispers through the woodland, or sense hands grabbing them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the tales may be unverifiable, numerous elements clearly observable that is undeniably strange. All around are vegetation whose bases are curved and contorted into unusual forms.

Multiple explanations have been given to clarify the misshapen plants: strong gales could have altered the growth, or naturally high radiation levels in the earth explain their strange formation.

But research studies have discovered no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's walks enable participants to participate in a modest investigation of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the trees where Barnea photographed his famous UFO photographs, he hands the traveler an EMF meter which detects energy patterns.

"We're venturing into the most energetic section of the forest," he states. "Discover what's here."

The plants abruptly end as the group enters into a flawless round. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and seems that this strange clearing is natural, not the work of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a location which stirs the imagination, where the line is unclear between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, form-changing bloodsuckers, who return from burial sites to haunt local communities.

The novelist's renowned character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building perched on a cliff edge in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – seems solid and predictable in contrast to this spooky forest, which seem to be, for causes nuclear, environmental or entirely legendary, a hub for fantasy projection.

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