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"They call this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains an experienced guide, his breath creating puffs of vapor in the chilly evening air. "Numerous people have vanished here, it's thought there's a gateway to a different realm." The guide is leading a visitor on a evening stroll through commonly known as the globe's spookiest woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval local woods on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Accounts of strange happenings here date back a long time – the forest is named after a local shepherd who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a UFO suspended above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he adds, facing the traveler with a smile. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, shamans, ufologists and paranormal investigators from around the globe, curious to experience the mysterious powers reported to reverberate through the forest.

Current Risks

Although it is one of the world's premier pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is facing danger. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, described as the Silicon Valley of the region – are advancing, and developers are pushing for permission to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Barring a limited section containing area-specific specific tree species, this woodland is not officially protected, but Marius hopes that the organization he co-founded – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, encouraging the authorities to appreciate the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

While branches and seasonal debris break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide describes some of the folk tales and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale recounts a young child vanishing during a family outing, only to return five years later with no recollection of her experience, without aging a day, her clothes without the tiniest bit of soil.
• Frequent accounts detail cellphones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on entering the woods.
• Reactions range from absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors claim observing unusual marks on their skin, hearing unseen murmurs through the trees, or sense palms pushing them, even when certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the stories may be hard to prove, there are many things visibly present that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are plants whose stems are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been given to explain the abnormal growth: that hurricane winds could have bent the saplings, or typically increased radiation levels in the soil cause their strange formation.

But research studies have turned up inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The guide's excursions permit participants to engage in a little scientific inquiry of their own. When nearing the opening in the forest where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO images, he passes the visitor an ghost-hunting device which measures energy patterns.

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

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as we emerge into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and seems that this unusual opening is organic, not the work of people.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a area which inspires creativity, where the line is blurred between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, form-changing bloodsuckers, who rise from their graves to terrorise local communities.

Bram Stoker's renowned character Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a Saxon monolith situated on a rocky outcrop in the Transylvanian Alps – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But despite folklore-rich Transylvania – literally, "the territory after the grove" – seems tangible and comprehensible in contrast to the haunted grove, which seem to be, for reasons related to radiation, environmental or purely mythical, a hub for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," the guide comments, "the boundary between reality and imagination is very thin."