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"Locals dub this spot a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, the air from his lungs producing puffs of vapor in the crisp night air. "Numerous individuals have gone missing here, many believe it's an entrance to a different realm." Marius is leading a traveler on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth native woodland on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of bizarre occurrences here extend back centuries – the grove is called after a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, along with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a unidentified flying object hovering above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But don't worry," he continues, turning to the visitor with a smirk. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, ufologists and paranormal investigators from across the world, interested in encountering the unusual forces reported to reverberate through the forest.

Current Risks

Despite being among the planet's leading hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is under threat. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, described as the tech capital of Eastern Europe – are advancing, and real estate firms are advocating for approval to cut down the woods to build apartment blocks.

Barring a limited section housing locally rare oak varieties, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but Marius is confident that the initiative he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will assist in altering this, encouraging the authorities to acknowledge the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

As twigs and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their boots, the guide recounts some of the folk tales and claimed supernatural events here.

• One famous story recounts a little girl vanishing during a family outing, then to rematerialise half a decade later with no memory of her experience, without aging a moment, her garments shy of the smallest trace of soil.
• Frequent accounts detail smartphones and photography gear inexplicably shutting down on entering the woods.
• Emotional responses range from full-blown dread to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors state seeing unusual marks on their bodies, hearing unseen murmurs through the trees, or sense hands grabbing them, although sure they are alone.

Study Attempts

While many of the stories may be impossible to confirm, there is much visibly present that is undeniably strange. All around are vegetation whose bases are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Multiple explanations have been suggested to account for the abnormal growth: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or typically increased radioactivity in the soil account for their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's excursions permit guests to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the trees where Barnea captured his well-known UFO pictures, he gives his guest an EMF meter which detects electromagnetic fields.

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

The plants suddenly stop dead as they step into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this strange clearing is natural, not the work of landscaping.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a location which inspires creativity, where the line is unclear between reality and legend. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting creatures, who rise from their graves to terrorise regional populations.

Bram Stoker's famous character Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure situated on a stone formation in the Carpathian Mountains – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – literally, "the place beyond the forest" – feels real and understandable compared to the haunted grove, which seem to be, for factors related to radiation, environmental or simply folkloric, a hub for human imaginative power.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide says, "the division between truth and fantasy is extremely fine."