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"They call this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a local guide, his breath producing clouds of mist in the cold dusk atmosphere. "Numerous individuals have gone missing here, it's thought it's an entrance to a different realm." The guide is leading a traveler on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth local woods on the fringes of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of bizarre occurrences here date back a long time – the grove is called after a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu came to international attention in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a unidentified flying object suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But rest assured," he states, turning to the traveler with a smile. "Our guided walks have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from across the world, eager to feel the mysterious powers reported to reverberate through the forest.

Modern Threats

Although it is a top global hotspots for supernatural fans, the forest is at risk. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of over 400,000 residents, described as the innovation center of eastern Europe – are expanding, and real estate firms are advocating for approval to clear the trees to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a few hectares home to locally rare specific tree species, this woodland is not officially protected, but the guide believes that the initiative he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, encouraging the authorities to acknowledge the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their footwear, Marius recounts some of the folk tales and claimed ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale tells of a young child going missing during a family picnic, later to return half a decade later with no recollection of her experience, without aging a single day, her attire lacking the slightest speck of soil.
• Frequent accounts explain smartphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Feelings vary from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Certain individuals claim observing bizarre skin irritations on their bodies, hearing disembodied whispers through the woodland, or sense fingers clutching them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the accounts may be hard to prove, numerous elements clearly observable that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are plants whose trunks are warped and gnarled into unusual forms.

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

But scientific investigations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's tours allow guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. When nearing the opening in the forest where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO photographs, he hands the traveler an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

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

The plants immediately cease as we emerge into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath our feet; it's apparent that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this strange clearing is natural, not the result of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a location which inspires creativity, where the line is unclear between truth and myth. In rural Romanian communities superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, form-changing creatures, who emerge from tombs to terrorise local communities.

Bram Stoker's renowned character Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure perched on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But including folklore-rich Transylvania – literally, "the land past the woods" – seems solid and predictable in contrast to these eerie woods, which seem to be, for causes related to radiation, climatic or simply folkloric, a nexus for creative energy.

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