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"Locals dub this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains a tour guide, the air from his lungs producing wisps of mist in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Numerous people have vanished here, many believe there's a gateway to a parallel world." Marius is leading a traveler on a nocturnal tour through what is often described as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient native woodland on the edges of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Accounts of unusual events here date back a long time – the grove is called after a area shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, along with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained worldwide fame in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a UFO floating above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and failed to return. But no need to fear," he states, addressing the visitor with a smirk. "Our tours have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn meditation experts, traditional medicine people, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from around the globe, interested in encountering the mysterious powers reported to reverberate through the forest.

Current Risks

Despite being one of the world's premier destinations for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is under threat. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and construction companies are pushing for permission to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Except for a few hectares housing locally rare specific tree species, the grove is not officially protected, but the guide believes that the initiative he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, persuading the government officials to appreciate the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and fall foliage snap and crunch beneath their footwear, Marius describes numerous folk tales and alleged paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story describes a five-year-old girl going missing during a family picnic, only to reappear five years later with no memory of what had happened, having not aged a moment, her clothes shy of the slightest speck of soil.
• Regular stories describe mobile phones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions range from full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Some people claim noticing strange rashes on their arms, perceiving ghostly voices through the woodland, or sense hands grabbing them, although convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the accounts may be unverifiable, numerous elements visibly present that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are trees whose trunks are bent and twisted into fantastical shapes.

Multiple explanations have been given to explain the abnormal growth: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated electromagnetic fields in the earth cause their crooked growth.

But research studies have found no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

The guide's walks enable participants to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. When nearing the opening in the forest where Barnea captured his famous UFO photographs, he gives the visitor an electromagnetic field detector which measures energy patterns.

"We're entering the most powerful area of the forest," he comments. "Try to detect something."

The vegetation immediately cease as they step into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath the ground; it's clear that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this strange clearing is wild, not the creation of human hands.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the division is indistinct between reality and legend. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, form-changing bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to frighten local communities.

Bram Stoker's well-known vampire Count Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building situated on a cliff edge in the Transylvanian Alps – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But even folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – feels solid and predictable in contrast to these eerie woods, which give the impression of being, for reasons nuclear, environmental or purely mythical, a nexus for creative energy.

"Within this forest," Marius says, "the line between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."