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"People refer to this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states a local guide, the air from his lungs producing puffs of mist in the cold night air. "So many people have vanished here, many believe it's a portal to a parallel world." The guide is guiding a traveler on a night walk through what is often described as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of primeval local woods on the edges of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here extend back a long time – the forest is named after a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a unidentified flying object hovering above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But rest assured," he adds, facing the visitor with a grin. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from around the globe, curious to experience the strange energies said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be among the planet's leading destinations for supernatural fans, the grove is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the Silicon Valley of eastern Europe – are advancing, and developers are advocating for approval to remove the forest to erect housing complexes.

Barring a limited section housing area-specific specific tree species, this woodland is not officially protected, but the guide believes that the organization he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will help to change that, persuading the government officials to recognise the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and autumn leaves snap and crunch beneath their boots, the guide recounts various local legends and claimed supernatural events here.

• A popular tale describes a little girl disappearing during a family outing, only to return after five years with no memory of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a single day, her attire shy of the smallest trace of dirt.
• More common reports explain smartphones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Reactions vary from absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Certain individuals state observing strange rashes on their bodies, hearing disembodied whispers through the woodland, or experience hands grabbing them, despite being sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there is much clearly observable that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are trees whose trunks are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been proposed to clarify the deformed trees: that hurricane winds could have altered the growth, or typically increased radioactivity in the soil explain their unusual development.

But formal examinations have discovered no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's walks enable guests to take part in a small-scale research of their own. When nearing the opening in the trees where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO pictures, he passes his guest an EMF meter which detects EMF readings.

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

The trees suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a flawless round. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the result of people.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a location which inspires creativity, where the line is unclear between truth and myth. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing creatures, who return from burial sites to haunt regional populations.

The famous author's renowned vampire Count Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure located on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is keenly marketed as "Dracula's Castle".

But including myth-shrouded Transylvania – literally, "the land past the woods" – appears solid and predictable versus the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for causes nuclear, atmospheric or purely mythical, a center for fantasy projection.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide comments, "the line between reality and imagination is extremely fine."