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"People refer to this location an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains a local guide, his exhalation producing puffs of condensation in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "Countless individuals have disappeared here, many believe it's an entrance to another dimension." Marius is guiding a guest on a nocturnal tour through commonly known as the planet's most ghostly forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth local woods on the outskirts of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Stories of bizarre occurrences here extend back a long time – the forest is named after a area shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when a military technician called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he described as a flying saucer floating above a oval meadow in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But don't worry," he continues, addressing his guest with a smile. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, ufologists and ghost hunters from around the globe, interested in encountering the strange energies reported to reverberate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

It may be among the planet's leading hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of more than 400,000 people, known as the innovation center of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and construction companies are pushing for permission to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Except for a limited section housing locally rare specific tree species, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but Marius hopes that the company he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, persuading the authorities to acknowledge the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

As twigs and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their shoes, the guide tells various local legends and reported ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale describes a young child disappearing during a family picnic, then to return half a decade later with no memory of what had happened, having not aged a day, her clothes shy of the smallest trace of dust.
• Regular stories detail mobile phones and photography gear mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Feelings include absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors state noticing unusual marks on their skin, perceiving unseen murmurs through the trees, or feel palms pushing them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the tales may be unverifiable, there are many things before my eyes that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are trees whose stems are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been given to clarify the deformed trees: strong gales could have altered the growth, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the earth explain their unusual development.

But research studies have discovered inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's excursions permit guests to engage in a little scientific inquiry of their own. As we approach the opening in the woods where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO photographs, he gives the traveler an electromagnetic field detector which measures EMF readings.

"We're entering the most active area of the forest," he comments. "See what you can find."

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as they step into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath our feet; it's clear that it's not maintained, and seems that this strange clearing is natural, not the result of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a place which fuels fantasy, where the division is blurred between fact and folklore. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting vampires, who emerge from tombs to frighten local communities.

The famous author's famous vampire Count Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure located on a stone formation in the Carpathian Mountains – is keenly marketed as "the count's residence".

But even myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – seems real and understandable compared to the haunted grove, which appear to be, for factors related to radiation, atmospheric or purely mythical, a hub for human imaginative power.

"In Hoia-Baciu," Marius states, "the boundary between truth and fantasy is very thin."