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"Locals dub this location an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a local guide, his exhalation producing clouds of vapor in the cold evening air. "Countless people have gone missing here, many believe it's an entrance to a different realm." This expert is escorting a traveler on a night walk through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval local woods on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of strange happenings here extend back hundreds of years – the forest is titled for 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 a military technician named Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a unidentified flying object hovering above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But don't worry," he adds, addressing the traveler with a smile. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has attracted meditation experts, shamans, ufologists and ghost hunters from around the globe, eager to feel the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

It may be among the planet's leading destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of over 400,000 residents, known as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and real estate firms are advocating for approval to cut down the woods to construct residential buildings.

Barring a few hectares containing area-specific specific tree species, the grove is without conservation status, but Marius hopes that the initiative he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the local administrators to acknowledge the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Eerie Encounters

When small sticks and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their boots, the guide describes some of the traditional stories and alleged supernatural events here.

• A well-known account describes a young child disappearing during a group gathering, later to reappear five years later with no recollection of the events, having not aged a moment, her clothes lacking the smallest trace of dust.
• Regular stories detail smartphones and photography gear mysteriously turning off on entering the woods.
• Reactions range from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors report seeing strange rashes on their skin, hearing disembodied whispers through the trees, or feel palms pushing them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the accounts may be impossible to confirm, there are many things before my eyes that is certainly unusual. All around are plants whose bases are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been suggested to explain the abnormal growth: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or naturally high radiation levels in the ground explain their strange formation.

But research studies have discovered inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

The guide's walks enable guests to take part in a little scientific inquiry of their own. When nearing the meadow in the forest where Barnea took his famous UFO pictures, he passes his guest an EMF meter which registers electromagnetic fields.

"We're venturing into the most powerful part of the forest," he comments. "See what you can find."

The plants abruptly end as we emerge into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this strange clearing is organic, not the work of landscaping.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a location which stirs the imagination, where the border is blurred between fact and folklore. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, form-changing creatures, who return from burial sites to terrorise regional populations.

The famous author's well-known vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure perched on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is keenly marketed as "the count's residence".

But even legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the land past the woods" – seems real and understandable in contrast to the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for causes related to radiation, environmental or entirely legendary, a hub for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," Marius states, "the line between reality and imagination is extremely fine."