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"People refer to this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a local guide, his breath producing wisps of mist in the cold dusk atmosphere. "Countless individuals have gone missing here, it's thought it's a portal to a parallel world." This expert is escorting a traveler on a evening stroll through what is often described as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient native woodland on the edges of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of strange happenings here extend back hundreds of years – this woodland is named after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the long ago, together with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu came to worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he reported as a unidentified flying object hovering above a circular clearing in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he continues, facing the visitor with a smile. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has attracted meditation experts, traditional medicine people, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from across the world, curious to experience the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

Although it is among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for lovers of the paranormal, the grove is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of over 400,000 residents, described as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and developers are pushing for approval to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Except for a few hectares housing locally rare specific tree species, the grove is not officially protected, but the guide hopes that the organization he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, motivating the local administrators to recognise the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Eerie Encounters

While branches and seasonal debris snap and crunch beneath their shoes, the guide describes some of the traditional stories and reported supernatural events here.

• A popular tale recounts a young child vanishing during a family outing, later to rematerialise half a decade later with complete amnesia of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a single day, her garments shy of the slightest speck of dust.
• Regular stories detail mobile phones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Feelings range from full-blown dread to feelings of joy.
• Certain individuals report observing strange rashes on their skin, hearing disembodied whispers through the forest, or sense fingers clutching them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Research Efforts

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

Different theories have been given to account for the deformed trees: that hurricane winds could have bent the saplings, or typically increased radiation levels in the soil account for their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have found no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

The guide's walks permit visitors to take part in a modest investigation of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the forest where Barnea captured his famous UFO pictures, he gives his guest an ghost-hunting device which detects electromagnetic fields.

"We're stepping into the most active part of the forest," he comments. "Try to detect something."

The plants abruptly end as we emerge into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the short grass beneath our feet; it's obvious that it hasn't been mown, and looks that this bizarre meadow is organic, not the result of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

The broader region is a area which fuels fantasy, where the border is unclear between truth and myth. In countryside villages superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting vampires, who rise from their graves to haunt nearby villages.

The famous author's famous character Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building located on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "Dracula's Castle".

But even folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the territory after the grove" – feels tangible and comprehensible compared to these eerie woods, which appear to be, for reasons radioactive, atmospheric or purely mythical, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," Marius comments, "the division between truth and fantasy is extremely fine."