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"People refer to this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a tour guide, his breath forming wisps of mist in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "So many individuals have vanished here, some say it's a portal to a different realm." Marius is leading a traveler on a night walk through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of primeval native woodland on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Stories of strange happenings here date back a long time – the forest is named after a area shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, accompanied by 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu gained worldwide fame in 1968, when a military technician called Emil Barnea captured on film what he described as a flying saucer floating above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and vanished without trace. But no need to fear," he continues, facing the traveler with a smile. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from across the world, curious to experience the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for supernatural fans, this woodland is at risk. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the tech capital of the region – are encroaching, and construction companies are pushing for approval to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a small area home to locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, the grove is not officially protected, but Marius is confident that the company he co-founded – a dedicated preservation group – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the local administrators to recognise the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

As twigs and autumn leaves snap and crunch beneath their footwear, the guide describes various folk tales and alleged supernatural events here.

• One famous story recounts a young child vanishing during a family picnic, only to rematerialise after five years with no recollection of the events, having not aged a single day, her garments without the slightest speck of soil.
• Frequent accounts detail smartphones and camera equipment mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Feelings include absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Certain individuals state observing bizarre skin irritations on their bodies, hearing ghostly voices through the trees, or experience palms pushing them, although sure they are alone.

Study Attempts

While many of the accounts may be unverifiable, numerous elements clearly observable that is certainly unusual. All around are plants whose trunks are bent and twisted into fantastical shapes.

Various suggestions have been given to clarify the misshapen plants: that hurricane winds could have altered the growth, or naturally high electromagnetic fields in the earth account for their strange formation.

But research studies have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

The guide's tours allow guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the opening in the forest where Barnea captured his well-known UFO photographs, he gives the visitor an ghost-hunting device which measures energy patterns.

"We're entering the most powerful part of the forest," he states. "See what you can find."

The plants immediately cease as they step into a flawless round. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath their shoes; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and looks that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the result of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the border is unclear between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing vampires, who emerge from tombs to haunt regional populations.

The novelist's renowned vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a medieval building located on a cliff edge in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But including myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – feels real and understandable compared to these eerie woods, which give the impression of being, for factors radioactive, environmental or simply folkloric, a center for human imaginative power.

"In Hoia-Baciu," Marius comments, "the line between reality and imagination is extremely fine."