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"Locals dub this spot a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks a local guide, his breath creating clouds of condensation in the cold evening air. "So many visitors have gone missing here, some say there's a gateway to a parallel world." The guide is escorting a visitor on a evening stroll through what is often described as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of strange happenings here date back hundreds of years – this woodland is named after a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, along with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea captured on film what he described as a unidentified flying object suspended above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But no need to fear," he adds, addressing the visitor with a smile. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yogis, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and paranormal investigators from around the globe, eager to feel the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be a top global hotspots for supernatural fans, this woodland is facing danger. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of over 400,000 residents, described as the tech capital of Eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are campaigning for authorization to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Barring a few hectares housing area-specific Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is without conservation status, but the guide believes that the initiative he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will help to change that, persuading the government officials to recognise the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and seasonal debris split and rustle beneath their footwear, the guide describes numerous traditional stories and reported paranormal happenings here.

• A popular tale describes a little girl disappearing during a family outing, only to reappear five years later with no recollection of what had happened, having not aged a single day, her garments without the slightest speck of dirt.
• Frequent accounts describe cellphones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Reactions vary from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Some people state noticing unusual marks on their bodies, hearing disembodied whispers through the woodland, or sense fingers clutching them, even when convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

Despite several of the tales may be unverifiable, there is much clearly observable that is undeniably strange. All around are vegetation whose bases are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been suggested to explain the misshapen plants: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated electromagnetic fields in the ground account for their unusual development.

But formal examinations have found inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's excursions permit participants to engage in a modest investigation of their own. As we approach the clearing in the woods where Barnea captured his renowned UFO pictures, he passes the traveler an electromagnetic field detector which detects electromagnetic fields.

"We're entering the most active area of the forest," he comments. "Try to detect something."

The plants immediately cease as they step into a complete ring. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and appears that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the creation of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a location which stirs the imagination, where the line is unclear between reality and legend. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting bloodsuckers, who rise from their graves to haunt nearby villages.

The famous author's famous vampire Count Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a Saxon monolith perched on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – appears real and understandable compared to these eerie woods, which give the impression of being, for factors related to radiation, climatic or simply folkloric, a hub for human imaginative power.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide states, "the division between truth and fantasy is extremely fine."