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"People refer to this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states a local guide, his breath producing clouds of condensation in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Countless visitors have gone missing here, many believe there's a gateway to a different realm." The guide is guiding a visitor on a night walk through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth local woods on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of bizarre occurrences here go back centuries – the grove is titled for a regional herder who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, along with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved global recognition in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a flying saucer hovering above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and never came out. But no need to fear," he adds, facing his guest with a smile. "Our excursions have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, traditional medicine people, ufologists and supernatural researchers from across the world, eager to feel the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

It may be one of the world's premier pilgrimage sites for supernatural fans, the grove is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of more than 400,000 people, called the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and real estate firms are campaigning for approval to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Barring a limited section containing locally rare oak varieties, the grove is without conservation status, but Marius is confident that the organization he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the local administrators to appreciate the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide describes numerous folk tales and reported supernatural events here.

• One famous story recounts a five-year-old girl disappearing during a family outing, then to rematerialise five years later with no memory of the events, having not aged a single day, her clothes without the smallest trace of soil.
• Regular stories describe smartphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on entering the woods.
• Emotional responses include complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Some people claim observing strange rashes on their arms, perceiving disembodied whispers through the woodland, or sense hands grabbing them, although sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the tales may be hard to prove, there is much visibly present that is definitely bizarre. Everywhere you look are vegetation whose trunks are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been given to explain the deformed trees: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or naturally high electromagnetic fields in the earth account for their unusual development.

But research studies have turned up insufficient proof.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's tours allow participants to participate in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the clearing in the forest where Barnea took his well-known UFO pictures, he passes the traveler an ghost-hunting device which registers EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most powerful area of the forest," he states. "Discover what's here."

The vegetation abruptly end as they step into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath the ground; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and appears that this unusual opening is organic, not the creation of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the line is unclear between reality and legend. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, appearance-altering creatures, who rise from their graves to haunt nearby villages.

The famous author's famous character Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building situated on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is keenly marketed as "the count's residence".

But including myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – seems real and understandable in contrast to this spooky forest, which appear to be, for causes radioactive, climatic or purely mythical, a nexus for creative energy.

"Inside these woods," the guide comments, "the boundary between truth and fantasy is extremely fine."