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"They call this location a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks a tour guide, his exhalation forming wisps of vapor in the cold dusk atmosphere. "Numerous visitors have disappeared here, many believe it's a portal to a parallel world." Marius is leading a visitor on a night walk through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of primeval indigenous forest on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of strange happenings here date back a long time – the forest is titled for a local shepherd who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, along with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu came to worldwide fame in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a flying saucer suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he states, facing his guest with a smile. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, traditional medicine people, ufologists and ghost hunters from worldwide, eager to feel the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

Although it is a top global pilgrimage sites for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is under threat. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the Silicon Valley of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and real estate firms are advocating for authorization to remove the forest to erect housing complexes.

Except for a limited section housing regionally uncommon oak varieties, the forest is without conservation status, but Marius hopes that the company he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, motivating the local administrators to recognise the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and autumn leaves snap and crunch beneath their boots, the guide describes some of the traditional stories and reported paranormal happenings here.

• A popular tale tells of a little girl going missing during a family outing, then to reappear after five years with no recollection of what had happened, having not aged a single day, her garments without the smallest trace of dust.
• Regular stories detail cellphones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses include absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals report noticing unusual marks on their arms, hearing unseen murmurs through the trees, or experience palms pushing them, although sure they are alone.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the tales may be hard to prove, numerous elements before my eyes that is definitely bizarre. Everywhere you look are trees whose bases are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been suggested to clarify the misshapen plants: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or typically increased radiation levels in the earth account for their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have found no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's excursions allow guests to engage in a modest investigation of their own. As we approach the clearing in the forest where Barnea captured his well-known UFO pictures, he passes his guest an EMF meter which registers EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most active area of the forest," he states. "Try to detect something."

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as they step into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the short grass beneath our feet; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and seems that this strange clearing is natural, not the result of landscaping.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a place which inspires creativity, where the line is unclear between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting vampires, who rise from their graves to haunt nearby villages.

The famous author's renowned vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building situated on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – seems tangible and comprehensible compared to the haunted grove, which seem to be, for factors nuclear, climatic or simply folkloric, a hub for creative energy.

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