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"People refer to this location the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," explains a tour guide, his exhalation producing clouds of condensation in the chilly night air. "So many individuals have vanished here, some say it's a portal to another dimension." This expert is leading a traveler on a night walk through commonly known as the planet's most ghostly forest: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of primeval local woods on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of unusual events here date back centuries – the forest is called after a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the long ago, along with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea took a picture of what he reported as a UFO hovering above a oval meadow in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But no need to fear," he continues, turning to the visitor with a grin. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in meditation experts, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and paranormal investigators from around the globe, curious to experience the strange energies said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being one of the world's premier hotspots for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is under threat. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, described as the tech capital of Eastern Europe – are advancing, and construction companies are advocating for authorization to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Barring a few hectares home to locally rare oak varieties, the grove is without conservation status, but Marius is confident that the initiative he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will help to change that, persuading the authorities to recognise the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Eerie Encounters

As twigs and seasonal debris split and rustle beneath their boots, the guide recounts numerous traditional stories and reported paranormal happenings here.

• A popular tale recounts a young child disappearing during a family outing, only to reappear after five years with no memory of the events, showing no signs of aging a single day, her garments without the smallest trace of dirt.
• Frequent accounts describe cellphones and photography gear mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions range from absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors state observing bizarre skin irritations on their arms, detecting disembodied whispers through the trees, or sense hands grabbing them, even when convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

While many of the stories may be impossible to confirm, there is much visibly present that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are plants whose trunks are bent and twisted into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been proposed to explain the misshapen plants: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or naturally high radioactivity in the soil account for their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have discovered inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

The guide's excursions enable participants to take part in a modest investigation of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the woods where Barnea took his renowned UFO images, he gives his guest an EMF meter which detects energy patterns.

"We're entering the most active part of the forest," he comments. "Discover what's here."

The trees suddenly stop dead as we emerge into a perfect circle. The single plant life is the trimmed turf beneath our feet; it's apparent that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this unusual opening is wild, not the creation of human hands.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a place which stirs the imagination, where the border is blurred between truth and myth. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting vampires, who rise from their graves to frighten regional populations.

The novelist's renowned fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure situated on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – feels real and understandable in contrast to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for reasons radioactive, atmospheric or simply folkloric, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," Marius comments, "the boundary between reality and imagination is extremely fine."