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"People refer to this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a local guide, the air from his lungs producing puffs of condensation in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "Numerous individuals have gone missing here, it's thought it's an entrance to a parallel world." This expert is leading a traveler on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of bizarre occurrences here go back hundreds of years – the grove is named after a area shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the distant past, together with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a UFO suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he continues, addressing his guest with a smirk. "Our guided walks have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has attracted meditation experts, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from worldwide, curious to experience the strange energies believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Although it is among the planet's leading hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, the grove is at risk. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of more than 400,000 people, known as the Silicon Valley of the region – are advancing, and real estate firms are pushing for permission to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Except for a small area housing regionally uncommon Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is not officially protected, but Marius believes that the company he helped establish – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, encouraging the authorities to acknowledge the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Eerie Encounters

While branches and autumn leaves snap and crunch beneath their shoes, the guide tells numerous local legends and claimed ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story describes a young child going missing during a group gathering, then to reappear after five years with no memory of her experience, showing no signs of aging a moment, her attire shy of the smallest trace of soil.
• More common reports detail cellphones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on venturing inside.
• Feelings range from complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Some people claim seeing strange rashes on their skin, detecting ghostly voices through the woodland, or experience fingers clutching them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the stories may be unverifiable, there are many things clearly observable that is definitely bizarre. Everywhere you look are plants whose bases are bent and twisted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been suggested to clarify the deformed trees: powerful storms could have shaped the young trees, or naturally high radioactivity in the ground cause their strange formation.

But research studies have found inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's excursions permit guests to engage in a modest investigation of their own. As we approach the meadow in the trees where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO pictures, he passes the traveler an ghost-hunting device which detects electromagnetic fields.

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

The plants immediately cease as we emerge into a flawless round. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath the ground; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and looks that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the creation of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a place which fuels fantasy, where the border is unclear between truth and myth. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing creatures, who return from burial sites to haunt local communities.

The famous author's famous character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure located on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – seems real and understandable compared to the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for causes radioactive, climatic or simply folkloric, a center for fantasy projection.

"In Hoia-Baciu," Marius says, "the division between fact and fiction is remarkably blurred."