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"People refer to this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, his exhalation producing clouds of vapor in the crisp evening air. "Numerous people have vanished here, many believe it's a portal to a different realm." Marius is escorting a traveler on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of strange happenings here go back hundreds of years – the forest is titled for a regional herder who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu came to global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he claimed was a flying saucer hovering above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But rest assured," he states, turning to his guest with a grin. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, traditional medicine people, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from worldwide, eager to feel the strange energies believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Despite being among the planet's leading hotspots for supernatural fans, the grove is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, called the innovation center of eastern Europe – are advancing, and construction companies are advocating for permission to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Aside from a few hectares housing regionally uncommon specific tree species, this woodland is without conservation status, but the guide is confident that the initiative he helped establish – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the local administrators to appreciate the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

While branches and autumn leaves snap and crunch beneath their boots, Marius describes some of the folk tales and reported supernatural events here.

• One famous story describes a little girl going missing during a family outing, only to reappear after five years with complete amnesia of the events, without aging a moment, her clothes shy of the slightest speck of dirt.
• More common reports describe cellphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Reactions range from full-blown dread to moments of euphoria.
• Some people claim noticing unusual marks on their arms, perceiving ghostly voices through the trees, or sense fingers clutching them, although convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

While many of the tales may be unverifiable, there is much visibly present that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are vegetation whose trunks are bent and twisted into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been suggested to explain the abnormal growth: strong gales could have altered the growth, or naturally high radiation levels in the ground cause their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have turned up inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The guide's excursions enable visitors to take part in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the opening in the forest where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO images, he gives the traveler an ghost-hunting device which measures EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most powerful section of the forest," he says. "Discover what's here."

The trees suddenly stop dead as we emerge into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and seems that this bizarre meadow is organic, not the creation of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a area which fuels fantasy, where the border is indistinct between reality and legend. In traditional settlements belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering vampires, who emerge from tombs to haunt nearby villages.

The famous author's well-known character Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a Saxon monolith perched on a cliff edge in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But including folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – appears tangible and comprehensible in contrast to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for reasons related to radiation, atmospheric or purely mythical, a nexus for creative energy.

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