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"They call this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, his breath creating clouds of vapor in the chilly evening air. "Numerous visitors have gone missing here, many believe it's an entrance to another dimension." The guide is leading a visitor on a evening stroll through what is often described as the globe's spookiest grove: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of old-growth local woods on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of unusual events here extend back centuries – this woodland is titled for a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a UFO suspended above a circular clearing in the heart of the forest.

Many came in here and failed to return. But no need to fear," he adds, facing his guest with a smirk. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn meditation experts, shamans, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from around the globe, curious to experience the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be one of the world's premier hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is at risk. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, called the innovation center of eastern Europe – are advancing, and developers are pushing for permission to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Barring a limited section containing regionally uncommon specific tree species, the grove is without conservation status, but Marius is confident that the company he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the local administrators to recognise the forest's significance as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their footwear, Marius describes some of the traditional stories and claimed ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale describes a five-year-old girl vanishing during a family outing, only to rematerialise five years later with no memory of what had happened, having not aged a day, her garments lacking the smallest trace of dirt.
• More common reports explain cellphones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on venturing inside.
• Feelings vary from full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors report seeing unusual marks on their skin, perceiving unseen murmurs through the forest, or experience palms pushing them, although sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there is much visibly present that is definitely bizarre. All around are trees whose trunks are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Different theories have been suggested to account for the abnormal growth: that hurricane winds could have bent the saplings, or naturally high radiation levels in the earth cause their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's tours enable visitors to engage in a modest investigation of their own. As we approach the meadow in the trees where Barnea captured his well-known UFO pictures, he gives his guest an EMF meter which registers EMF readings.

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

The trees suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath their shoes; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this unusual opening is wild, not the result of human hands.

Fact Versus Fiction

The broader region is a location which stirs the imagination, where the line is indistinct between truth and myth. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, appearance-altering bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to haunt local communities.

The famous author's famous vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure perched on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – seems real and understandable compared to these eerie woods, which seem to be, for causes radioactive, atmospheric or simply folkloric, a nexus for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide states, "the boundary between fact and fiction is extremely fine."