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"They call this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains an experienced guide, his exhalation forming wisps of mist in the crisp evening air. "Countless people have gone missing here, some say there's a gateway to another dimension." This expert is escorting a visitor on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the globe's spookiest forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth native woodland on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Stories of bizarre occurrences here go back a long time – this woodland is named after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu came to global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a flying saucer suspended above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Many came in here and never came out. But no need to fear," he states, facing the traveler with a smile. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, extraterrestrial investigators and paranormal investigators from across the world, curious to experience the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

Although it is among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for supernatural fans, the forest is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, called the innovation center of eastern Europe – are expanding, and developers are pushing for authorization to cut down the woods to construct residential buildings.

Barring a limited section containing locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is not officially protected, but the guide believes that the initiative he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, encouraging the local administrators to recognise the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

When small sticks and seasonal debris split and rustle beneath their boots, the guide describes various traditional stories and claimed supernatural events here.

• One famous story describes a five-year-old girl disappearing during a family outing, only to reappear half a decade later with no recollection of the events, showing no signs of aging a day, her garments shy of the tiniest bit of dust.
• More common reports detail smartphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses range from absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Certain individuals state noticing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, perceiving ghostly voices through the woodland, or sense palms pushing them, even when convinced they're by themselves.

Research Efforts

While many of the tales may be hard to prove, numerous elements before my eyes that is certainly unusual. Throughout the area are trees whose trunks are bent and twisted into bizarre configurations.

Multiple explanations have been suggested to clarify the abnormal growth: that hurricane winds could have altered the growth, or typically increased radioactivity in the earth explain their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have discovered no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's tours permit visitors to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the woods where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO pictures, he hands his guest an ghost-hunting device which detects energy patterns.

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

The plants abruptly end as they step into a complete ring. The single plant life is the short grass beneath our feet; it's apparent that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this bizarre meadow is wild, not the result of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a place which inspires creativity, where the line is blurred between reality and legend. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, form-changing creatures, who return from burial sites to frighten nearby villages.

Bram Stoker's well-known fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure situated on a cliff edge in the Carpathian Mountains – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But including folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – seems tangible and comprehensible in contrast to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for factors nuclear, atmospheric or entirely legendary, a nexus for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," Marius states, "the line between truth and fantasy is remarkably blurred."