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"People refer to this location an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains an experienced guide, his exhalation producing puffs of condensation in the chilly evening air. "Numerous people have vanished here, it's thought it's a portal to a parallel world." This expert is guiding a visitor on a night walk through what is often described as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth local woods on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of unusual events here go back a long time – the grove is named after a area shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained worldwide fame in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea took a picture of what he claimed was a UFO floating above a circular clearing in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and never came out. But rest assured," he adds, addressing the visitor with a grin. "Our excursions have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, shamans, extraterrestrial investigators and ghost hunters from worldwide, curious to experience the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be one of the world's premier hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, the grove is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, described as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are advancing, and developers are advocating for authorization to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Barring a small area housing regionally uncommon Mediterranean oak trees, the forest is without conservation status, but the guide hopes that the initiative he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the authorities to appreciate the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Eerie Encounters

When small sticks and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide recounts various local legends and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale recounts a five-year-old girl going missing during a family outing, then to return after five years with no memory of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a day, her clothes without the tiniest bit of dirt.
• Regular stories detail cellphones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on entering the woods.
• Reactions include complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Certain individuals claim seeing strange rashes on their bodies, hearing disembodied whispers through the woodland, or experience hands grabbing them, even when sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the accounts may be unverifiable, there is much visibly present that is certainly unusual. All around are trees whose bases are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been proposed to account for the abnormal growth: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or naturally high radioactivity in the ground account for their strange formation.

But formal examinations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's walks permit visitors to participate in a modest investigation of their own. When nearing the opening in the woods where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO images, he passes the traveler an EMF meter which registers EMF readings.

"We're stepping into the most energetic section of the forest," he states. "See what you can find."

The vegetation abruptly end as we emerge into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the low vegetation beneath their shoes; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and seems that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the work of landscaping.

Between Reality and Imagination

This part of Romania is a place which inspires creativity, where the border is blurred between reality and legend. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing bloodsuckers, who rise from their graves to terrorise local communities.

Bram Stoker's well-known character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building perched on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the territory after the grove" – seems solid and predictable compared to this spooky forest, which appear to be, for causes related to radiation, atmospheric or entirely legendary, a center for fantasy projection.

"Within this forest," the guide states, "the division between fact and fiction is remarkably blurred."