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"People refer to this spot a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks a local guide, the air from his lungs forming clouds of vapor in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "So many individuals have vanished here, some say there's a gateway to a different realm." This expert is guiding a traveler on a night walk through frequently labeled as the globe's spookiest woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of old-growth indigenous forest on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here extend back hundreds of years – the forest is called after a local shepherd who is said to have vanished in the distant past, together with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a military technician called Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a flying saucer suspended above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he continues, addressing his guest with a smile. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, spiritual healers, ufologists and supernatural researchers from across the world, curious to experience the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be a top global pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is facing danger. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the tech capital of the region – are expanding, and real estate firms are campaigning for permission to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Barring a few hectares home to locally rare specific tree species, the forest is without conservation status, but Marius is confident that the company he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the government officials to recognise the forest's importance as a travel hotspot.

Chilling Events

When small sticks and seasonal debris snap and crunch beneath their boots, Marius recounts numerous folk tales and reported paranormal happenings here.

• A well-known account tells of a young child going missing during a family picnic, only to rematerialise after five years with no memory of her experience, having not aged a moment, her garments lacking the slightest speck of dust.
• Frequent accounts describe cellphones and photography gear inexplicably shutting down on venturing inside.
• Feelings range from complete terror to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals state observing bizarre skin irritations on their arms, perceiving ghostly voices through the trees, or sense palms pushing them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Despite several of the accounts may be impossible to confirm, numerous elements clearly observable that is certainly unusual. All around are trees whose trunks are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been given to account for the abnormal growth: that hurricane winds could have shaped the young trees, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the earth cause their unusual development.

But scientific investigations have found no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's tours allow visitors to engage in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the trees where Barnea took his renowned UFO images, he gives the visitor an ghost-hunting device which registers energy patterns.

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

The plants immediately cease as they step into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this strange clearing is organic, not the work of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the line is indistinct between fact and folklore. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, shapeshifting vampires, who emerge from tombs to frighten regional populations.

The novelist's renowned fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a medieval building perched on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – literally, "the territory after the grove" – seems tangible and comprehensible in contrast to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for factors radioactive, environmental or purely mythical, a center for creative energy.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide says, "the division between fact and fiction is extremely fine."