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"Locals dub this spot the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," remarks a local guide, his breath creating puffs of condensation in the crisp night air. "So many people have gone missing here, some say there's a gateway to another dimension." Marius is leading a traveler on a night walk through what is often described as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient local woods on the fringes of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of strange happenings here extend back hundreds of years – the forest is called after a area shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea took a picture of what he claimed was a UFO hovering above a circular clearing in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he states, addressing his guest with a grin. "Our tours have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and paranormal investigators from around the globe, curious to experience the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being among the planet's leading hotspots for paranormal enthusiasts, this woodland is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of over 400,000 residents, called the innovation center of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and developers are campaigning for authorization to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Aside from a small area containing locally rare specific tree species, this woodland is without conservation status, but Marius believes that the organization he was instrumental in creating – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the government officials to appreciate the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their boots, the guide tells numerous folk tales and reported supernatural events here.

• A popular tale tells of a five-year-old girl going missing during a group gathering, later to reappear five years later with complete amnesia of what had happened, without aging a moment, her attire lacking the slightest speck of dust.
• Regular stories detail cellphones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on entering the woods.
• Emotional responses include complete terror to moments of euphoria.
• Some people state observing unusual marks on their arms, detecting ghostly voices through the woodland, or experience fingers clutching them, although sure they are alone.

Research Efforts

Despite several of the stories may be unverifiable, there is much clearly observable that is definitely bizarre. Everywhere you look are vegetation whose bases are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been proposed to account for the abnormal growth: strong gales could have altered the growth, or naturally high radioactivity in the soil explain their unusual development.

But formal examinations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's excursions allow guests to participate in a modest investigation of their own. When nearing the meadow in the trees where Barnea captured his famous UFO photographs, he gives his guest an electromagnetic field detector which detects energy patterns.

"We're stepping into the most energetic area of the forest," he comments. "Discover what's here."

The plants immediately cease as the group enters into a complete ring. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath our feet; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and appears that this strange clearing is organic, not the work of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a place which stirs the imagination, where the line is unclear between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, shapeshifting vampires, who rise from their graves to haunt local communities.

Bram Stoker's well-known character Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure situated on a cliff edge in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – literally, "the place beyond the forest" – feels tangible and comprehensible compared to the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for causes related to radiation, environmental or simply folkloric, a hub for creative energy.

"Within this forest," Marius states, "the division between reality and imagination is extremely fine."