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"Locals dub this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," remarks a tour guide, his exhalation forming puffs of mist in the cold night air. "Countless individuals have vanished here, many believe there's a gateway to another dimension." Marius is escorting a guest on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of ancient local woods on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Stories of strange happenings here date back hundreds of years – the grove is called after a regional herder who is believed to have disappeared in the distant past, together with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu came to worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a flying saucer suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But no need to fear," he adds, facing the traveler with a grin. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in meditation experts, shamans, extraterrestrial investigators and ghost hunters from across the world, curious to experience the strange energies said to echo through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

It may be one of the world's premier hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, described as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and real estate firms are advocating for permission to clear the trees to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a few hectares containing regionally uncommon Mediterranean oak trees, the forest is without conservation status, but Marius hopes that the company he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, persuading the government officials to appreciate the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their boots, the guide recounts some of the traditional stories and alleged paranormal happenings here.

• A well-known account tells of a little girl vanishing during a group gathering, later to reappear half a decade later with no memory of what had happened, without aging a day, her attire without the tiniest bit of soil.
• Regular stories detail smartphones and photography gear inexplicably shutting down on entering the woods.
• Feelings vary from absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals state observing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, perceiving disembodied whispers through the forest, or feel hands grabbing them, even when sure they are alone.

Research Efforts

Although numerous of the stories may be unverifiable, numerous elements before my eyes that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are vegetation whose bases are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Various suggestions have been suggested to explain the abnormal growth: powerful storms could have shaped the young trees, or typically increased radioactivity in the soil cause their strange formation.

But research studies have found insufficient proof.

The Legendary Opening

The expert's walks allow guests to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. As we approach the clearing in the woods where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO pictures, he gives the visitor an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

"We're stepping into the most active section of the forest," he says. "Try to detect something."

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as we emerge into a flawless round. The single plant life is the low vegetation beneath the ground; it's clear that it's not maintained, and seems that this unusual opening is organic, not the work of human hands.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a place which inspires creativity, where the border is indistinct between truth and myth. In rural Romanian communities faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, appearance-altering creatures, who rise from their graves to terrorise local communities.

Bram Stoker's well-known fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure located on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – feels real and understandable compared to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for causes radioactive, atmospheric or entirely legendary, a nexus for creative energy.

"In Hoia-Baciu," Marius states, "the division between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."