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"They call this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, his exhalation creating puffs of vapor in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Numerous visitors have vanished here, it's thought it's an entrance to a different realm." Marius is guiding a visitor on a night walk through what is often described as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth indigenous forest on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of unusual events here date back centuries – the grove is called after a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the distant past, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea captured on film what he described as a flying saucer suspended above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Many came in here and failed to return. But rest assured," he states, addressing the traveler with a smile. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in meditation experts, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from worldwide, curious to experience the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be one of the world's premier hotspots for supernatural fans, this woodland is under threat. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the Silicon Valley of the region – are advancing, and real estate firms are pushing for approval to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Barring a few hectares containing area-specific Mediterranean oak trees, the forest is lacking legal protection, but the guide is confident that the company he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, persuading the local administrators to acknowledge the forest's value as a tourist attraction.

Eerie Encounters

As twigs and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide recounts various local legends and alleged supernatural events here.

• A well-known account describes a five-year-old girl going missing during a family picnic, only to return half a decade later with no recollection of her experience, having not aged a single day, her garments without the smallest trace of dirt.
• Frequent accounts detail mobile phones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on stepping into the forest.
• Feelings range from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors state noticing strange rashes on their skin, detecting disembodied whispers through the trees, or feel hands grabbing them, even when certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

Despite several of the stories may be unverifiable, numerous elements visibly present that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are trees whose stems are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Various suggestions have been proposed to clarify the abnormal growth: strong gales could have altered the growth, or naturally high electromagnetic fields in the earth cause their crooked growth.

But research studies have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's walks allow visitors to engage in a modest investigation of their own. When nearing the opening in the woods where Barnea captured his famous UFO images, he passes the traveler an ghost-hunting device which registers electromagnetic fields.

"We're entering the most powerful section of the forest," he states. "See what you can find."

The vegetation immediately cease as they step into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath the ground; it's apparent that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this strange clearing is natural, not the work of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a place which stirs the imagination, where the border is unclear between reality and legend. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting bloodsuckers, who rise from their graves to terrorise nearby villages.

The novelist's famous fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a Saxon monolith situated on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – literally, "the land past the woods" – feels solid and predictable versus the haunted grove, which appear to be, for reasons nuclear, climatic or simply folkloric, a center for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," the guide comments, "the boundary between reality and imagination is extremely fine."