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"Locals dub this spot a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks a local guide, his exhalation creating wisps of condensation in the cold dusk atmosphere. "Numerous individuals have disappeared here, some say it's a portal to another dimension." The guide is escorting a guest on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient local woods on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Accounts of strange happenings here go back centuries – the grove is named after a regional herder who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu came to international attention in 1968, when a military technician called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he described as a flying saucer suspended above a round opening in the middle of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he states, turning to the visitor with a grin. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, ufologists and supernatural researchers from around the globe, eager to feel the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.

Current Risks

Although it is among the planet's leading hotspots for supernatural fans, the grove is under threat. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the innovation center of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and developers are pushing for approval to cut down the woods to construct residential buildings.

Aside from a few hectares home to regionally uncommon oak varieties, the forest is not officially protected, but Marius is confident that the initiative he helped establish – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the authorities to appreciate the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their boots, Marius recounts numerous folk tales and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story describes a young child going missing during a family picnic, then to rematerialise five years later with no recollection of what had happened, without aging a moment, her attire without the tiniest bit of soil.
• More common reports describe smartphones and camera equipment mysteriously turning off on venturing inside.
• Reactions vary from full-blown dread to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors claim seeing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, perceiving disembodied whispers through the forest, or sense hands grabbing them, even when convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

Despite several of the tales may be hard to prove, there are many things clearly observable that is certainly unusual. Throughout the area are trees whose bases are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Multiple explanations have been proposed to account for the abnormal growth: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated electromagnetic fields in the soil cause their unusual development.

But research studies have discovered insufficient proof.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's tours permit guests to take part in a modest investigation of their own. As we approach the clearing in the woods where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO images, he hands the traveler an electromagnetic field detector which measures EMF readings.

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

The trees abruptly end as we emerge into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath their shoes; it's clear that it hasn't been mown, and looks that this bizarre meadow is wild, not the creation of people.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a location which inspires creativity, where the line is unclear between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting bloodsuckers, who return from burial sites to frighten regional populations.

The famous author's famous vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure located on a cliff edge in the Transylvanian Alps – is heavily promoted as "the count's residence".

But even myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – appears real and understandable versus the haunted grove, which appear to be, for causes related to radiation, climatic or purely mythical, a center for creative energy.

"Inside these woods," Marius says, "the boundary between truth and fantasy is remarkably blurred."