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"They call this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," explains an experienced guide, his breath forming clouds of mist in the cold dusk atmosphere. "Countless people have vanished here, some say it's a portal to a different realm." The guide is leading a visitor on a night walk through frequently labeled as the globe's spookiest grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient native woodland on the edges of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of strange happenings here go back hundreds of years – the forest is titled for a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, along with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a defense worker called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he reported as a UFO floating above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But rest assured," he continues, facing the traveler with a grin. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yogis, shamans, ufologists and ghost hunters from worldwide, eager to feel the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

It may be among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for supernatural fans, this woodland is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, called the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and construction companies are pushing for permission to clear the trees to erect housing complexes.

Barring a small area housing locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, the grove is without conservation status, but the guide hopes that the company he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will help to change that, encouraging the local administrators to acknowledge the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their boots, Marius describes various local legends and alleged paranormal happenings here.

• A well-known account describes a little girl disappearing during a family picnic, later to reappear after five years with complete amnesia of her experience, showing no signs of aging a single day, her attire lacking the tiniest bit of soil.
• Frequent accounts detail cellphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Reactions include complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors claim observing unusual marks on their arms, hearing ghostly voices through the woodland, or sense fingers clutching them, although convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the tales may be hard to prove, there is much visibly present that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are plants whose trunks are curved and contorted into unusual forms.

Different theories have been given to clarify the misshapen plants: that hurricane winds could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated radiation levels in the ground account for their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Famous Clearing

Marius's walks permit guests to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. When nearing the opening in the forest where Barnea took his famous UFO photographs, he gives his guest an electromagnetic field detector which detects EMF readings.

"We're entering the most energetic section of the forest," he states. "Try to detect something."

The trees immediately cease as we emerge into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the low vegetation beneath the ground; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this bizarre meadow is wild, not the work of people.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a location which inspires creativity, where the division is blurred between truth and myth. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting vampires, who return from burial sites to haunt regional populations.

Bram Stoker's renowned character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a Saxon monolith located on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But even folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – feels tangible and comprehensible compared to these eerie woods, which seem to be, for causes nuclear, atmospheric or purely mythical, a nexus for fantasy projection.

"Inside these woods," the guide says, "the division between fact and fiction is extremely fine."