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"People refer to this spot a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states a local guide, the air from his lungs creating puffs of vapor in the chilly evening air. "Numerous individuals have vanished here, many believe there's a gateway to a parallel world." The guide is guiding a traveler on a nocturnal tour through what is often described as the globe's spookiest forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient native woodland on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of unusual events here go back hundreds of years – this woodland is titled for a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a UFO suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But rest assured," he adds, facing his guest with a grin. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn meditation experts, traditional medicine people, UFO researchers and paranormal investigators from worldwide, eager to feel the strange energies reported to reverberate through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being a top global pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, this woodland is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of more than 400,000 people, known as the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are advocating for approval to remove the forest to erect housing complexes.

Except for a small area housing regionally uncommon oak varieties, the grove is without conservation status, but Marius believes that the organization he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the authorities to acknowledge the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their boots, Marius recounts numerous traditional stories and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• A well-known account recounts a young child going missing during a family outing, only to rematerialise after five years with no memory of the events, having not aged a single day, her attire lacking the tiniest bit of dust.
• More common reports detail cellphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on venturing inside.
• Feelings range from absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors state seeing unusual marks on their bodies, hearing ghostly voices through the woodland, or experience palms pushing them, although sure they are alone.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the stories may be hard to prove, there are many things before my eyes that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are trees whose bases are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been suggested to explain the misshapen plants: strong gales could have altered the growth, or typically increased radioactivity in the ground account for their unusual development.

But research studies have found insufficient proof.

The Legendary Opening

The guide's excursions allow guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. When nearing the opening in the trees where Barnea captured his well-known UFO pictures, he gives his guest an electromagnetic field detector which detects electromagnetic fields.

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

The vegetation abruptly end as the group enters into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and appears that this bizarre meadow is wild, not the work of human hands.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a location which fuels fantasy, where the border is indistinct between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to frighten regional populations.

The famous author's famous fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a Saxon monolith situated on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – appears solid and predictable versus the haunted grove, which appear to be, for factors related to radiation, environmental or purely mythical, a center for creative energy.

"Inside these woods," the guide says, "the line between fact and fiction is extremely fine."