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"Locals dub this location a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," explains an experienced guide, the air from his lungs forming puffs of condensation in the cold night air. "Numerous people have disappeared here, some say there's a gateway to a parallel world." Marius is escorting a traveler on a evening stroll through what is often described as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of old-growth native woodland on the outskirts of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of strange happenings here go back hundreds of years – this woodland is titled for a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea captured on film what he described as a flying saucer suspended above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But don't worry," he adds, addressing the traveler with a smirk. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, traditional medicine people, ufologists and supernatural researchers from worldwide, interested in encountering the unusual forces reported to reverberate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be one of the world's premier hotspots for supernatural fans, this woodland is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, called the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and construction companies are pushing for permission to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Except for a few hectares home to regionally uncommon oak varieties, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but the guide is confident that the organization he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will contribute to improving the situation, persuading the local administrators to acknowledge the forest's significance as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their shoes, the guide tells various traditional stories and reported ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story tells of a little girl vanishing during a family picnic, only to rematerialise five years later with no memory of the events, without aging a single day, her garments lacking the tiniest bit of dust.
• Regular stories detail smartphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on entering the woods.
• Feelings vary from absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors report observing unusual marks on their bodies, hearing disembodied whispers through the woodland, or feel palms pushing them, although sure they are alone.

Research Efforts

While many of the stories may be unverifiable, numerous elements visibly present that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are trees whose stems are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been proposed to explain the misshapen plants: strong gales could have shaped the young trees, or naturally high radiation levels in the ground explain their unusual development.

But research studies have turned up insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

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

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

The trees suddenly stop dead as they step into a complete ring. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this unusual opening is wild, not the result 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 faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering creatures, who return from burial sites to terrorise local communities.

Bram Stoker's well-known vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure located on a cliff edge in the Transylvanian Alps – is heavily promoted as "the count's residence".

But despite folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the territory after the grove" – feels tangible and comprehensible in contrast to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for causes nuclear, environmental or entirely legendary, a center for creative energy.

"Inside these woods," Marius states, "the division between fact and fiction is extremely fine."