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"People refer to this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," remarks a tour guide, his exhalation forming puffs of vapor in the cold evening air. "So many individuals have gone missing here, many believe it's an entrance to another dimension." This expert is leading a guest on a nocturnal tour through commonly known as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient local woods on the outskirts of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Accounts of strange happenings here date back centuries – the forest is called after a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a military technician called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he described as a flying saucer hovering above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But rest assured," he continues, addressing the traveler with a grin. "Our excursions have a perfect safety record."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, spiritual healers, ufologists and ghost hunters from around the globe, eager to feel the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be one of the world's premier destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, described as the innovation center of eastern Europe – are advancing, and developers are pushing for permission to cut down the woods to construct residential buildings.

Barring a small area home to locally rare specific tree species, the forest is lacking legal protection, but the guide is confident that the initiative he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, persuading the local administrators to appreciate the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and seasonal debris break and crackle beneath their footwear, Marius recounts various local legends and alleged supernatural events here.

• A well-known account describes a young child vanishing during a group gathering, later to return after five years with no recollection of the events, having not aged a day, her garments lacking the smallest trace of dirt.
• Regular stories detail smartphones and photography gear mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses range from complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Certain individuals claim observing bizarre skin irritations on their bodies, hearing disembodied whispers through the trees, or feel fingers clutching them, even when sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the stories may be impossible to confirm, numerous elements before my eyes that is certainly unusual. All around are vegetation whose bases are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been suggested to clarify the deformed trees: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or naturally high electromagnetic fields in the earth account for their unusual development.

But research studies have discovered inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The guide's excursions enable visitors to participate in a modest investigation of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the trees where Barnea took his well-known UFO pictures, he passes his guest an ghost-hunting device which registers EMF readings.

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

The plants abruptly end as the group enters into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this unusual opening is natural, not the creation of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

The broader region is a place which stirs the imagination, where the border is blurred between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, appearance-altering bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to frighten local communities.

The novelist's renowned character Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure situated on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – seems solid and predictable compared to the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for factors nuclear, climatic or entirely legendary, a hub for fantasy projection.

"Within this forest," the guide states, "the division between reality and imagination is very thin."