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"They call this location an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains a tour guide, his exhalation creating puffs of vapor in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "So many individuals have disappeared here, many believe it's a portal to a parallel world." The guide is leading a guest on a evening stroll through what is often described as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of primeval indigenous forest on the edges of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Accounts of unusual events here extend back a long time – the grove is called after a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the distant past, accompanied by 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea took a picture of what he claimed was a flying saucer hovering above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he adds, facing the visitor with a smile. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, shamans, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from worldwide, eager to feel the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

Although it is a top global pilgrimage sites for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is at risk. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the Silicon Valley of eastern Europe – are advancing, and developers are advocating for approval to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Barring a few hectares home to area-specific oak varieties, this woodland is without conservation status, but Marius believes that the company he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, persuading the government officials to recognise the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their footwear, the guide tells some of the folk tales and claimed paranormal happenings here.

• A popular tale recounts a five-year-old girl disappearing during a group gathering, only to rematerialise after five years with no memory of her experience, without aging a moment, her garments lacking the tiniest bit of dirt.
• Regular stories detail cellphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Reactions vary from full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Certain individuals report seeing bizarre skin irritations on their arms, hearing disembodied whispers through the forest, or experience fingers clutching them, although sure they are alone.

Study Attempts

While many of the stories may be impossible to confirm, there are many things visibly present that is certainly unusual. All around are trees whose trunks are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Various suggestions have been given to clarify the misshapen plants: strong gales could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated electromagnetic fields in the earth account for their unusual development.

But scientific investigations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

The guide's walks permit guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the clearing in the trees where Barnea captured his famous UFO pictures, he gives the visitor an EMF meter which registers energy patterns.

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

The vegetation immediately cease as the group enters into a perfect circle. The single plant life is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's clear that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this unusual opening is natural, not the creation of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

Transylvania generally is a place which inspires creativity, where the line is unclear between truth and myth. In traditional settlements belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering vampires, who emerge from tombs to haunt local communities.

The famous author's renowned fictional vampire is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure perched on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – appears solid and predictable in contrast to these eerie woods, which give the impression of being, for factors radioactive, environmental or entirely legendary, a hub for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," Marius states, "the line between reality and imagination is very thin."