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"Locals dub this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, his exhalation producing clouds of condensation in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Numerous visitors have disappeared here, some say it's an entrance to a parallel world." Marius is escorting a traveler on a nocturnal tour through what is often described as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of ancient local woods on the fringes of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of strange happenings here extend back a long time – the grove is named after a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea took a picture of what he described as a unidentified flying object floating above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he states, facing the traveler with a smirk. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yogis, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from across the world, interested in encountering the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Although it is a top global pilgrimage sites for supernatural fans, the grove is at risk. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, called the Silicon Valley of eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are campaigning for permission to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Barring a few hectares housing locally rare oak varieties, this woodland is not officially protected, but Marius hopes that the company he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, motivating the authorities to acknowledge the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Chilling Events

As twigs and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their boots, the guide recounts numerous local legends and alleged paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story describes a young child going missing during a family picnic, only to reappear after five years with no memory of the events, having not aged a day, her clothes lacking the tiniest bit of soil.
• More common reports describe smartphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses range from full-blown dread to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors report seeing unusual marks on their bodies, detecting unseen murmurs through the forest, or experience hands grabbing them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

Despite several of the tales may be unverifiable, there are many things visibly present that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are trees whose trunks are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Multiple explanations have been given to clarify the abnormal growth: that hurricane winds could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the ground account for their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have found inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

The guide's tours allow participants to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the trees where Barnea took his renowned UFO photographs, he gives the traveler an ghost-hunting device which measures energy patterns.

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

The plants abruptly end as the group enters into a flawless round. The single plant life is the low vegetation beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and seems that this unusual opening is wild, not the result of people.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a place which fuels fantasy, where the line is indistinct between truth and myth. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, appearance-altering creatures, who rise from their graves to terrorise local communities.

The famous author's well-known fictional vampire is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building perched on a stone formation in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "Dracula's Castle".

But even legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the land past the woods" – appears real and understandable compared to these eerie woods, which seem to be, for factors radioactive, climatic or entirely legendary, a nexus for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," Marius states, "the division between fact and fiction is extremely fine."