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"Locals dub this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, his exhalation creating wisps of mist in the cold dusk atmosphere. "Countless individuals have disappeared here, some say there's a gateway to a different realm." This expert is escorting a visitor on a nocturnal tour through what is often described as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of old-growth native woodland on the outskirts of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Stories of bizarre occurrences here go back centuries – the forest is named after a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the distant past, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a UFO hovering above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he states, turning to the traveler with a grin. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, traditional medicine people, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from worldwide, curious to experience the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be a top global hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, called the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe – are advancing, and construction companies are advocating for authorization to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Barring a few hectares containing locally rare specific tree species, the grove is without conservation status, but the guide is confident that the organization he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the authorities to appreciate the forest's importance as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their boots, Marius tells some of the traditional stories and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale describes a little girl going missing during a family picnic, only to return half a decade later with no recollection of what had happened, having not aged a single day, her clothes without the slightest speck of soil.
• More common reports explain cellphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Feelings range from complete terror to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors state noticing unusual marks on their arms, perceiving unseen murmurs through the forest, or experience palms pushing them, even when certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the tales may be impossible to confirm, numerous elements clearly observable that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are plants whose bases are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

Various suggestions have been proposed to explain the deformed trees: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the ground explain their unusual development.

But scientific investigations have discovered inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The guide's excursions permit participants to engage in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the woods where Barnea photographed his famous UFO pictures, he hands the traveler an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

"We're stepping into the most energetic area of the forest," he comments. "Discover what's here."

The trees abruptly end as we emerge into a complete ring. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's clear that it's not maintained, and appears that this strange clearing is natural, not the result of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a area which fuels fantasy, where the line is indistinct between truth and myth. In traditional settlements belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, form-changing creatures, who return from burial sites to terrorise nearby villages.

The famous author's renowned fictional vampire is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a Saxon monolith located on a cliff edge in the Transylvanian Alps – is heavily promoted as "the count's residence".

But even legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – appears tangible and comprehensible versus these eerie woods, which seem to be, for reasons related to radiation, environmental or simply folkloric, a nexus for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide says, "the boundary between reality and imagination is very thin."