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"They call this location a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks a local guide, his exhalation forming wisps of condensation in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "Numerous visitors have disappeared here, many believe it's an entrance to a different realm." This expert is leading a traveler on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth local woods on the edges of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of unusual events here extend back hundreds of years – the forest is named after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the long ago, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker called Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a flying saucer floating above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

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

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from worldwide, curious to experience the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be one of the world's premier destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is under threat. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, known as the tech capital of Eastern Europe – are advancing, and construction companies are pushing for permission to cut down the woods to build apartment blocks.

Except for a small area housing regionally uncommon oak varieties, the forest is lacking legal protection, but Marius hopes that the organization he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, motivating the local administrators to appreciate the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

While branches and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their boots, Marius describes numerous local legends and alleged supernatural events here.

• A popular tale describes a little girl disappearing during a family picnic, only to return after five years with no memory of the events, without aging a moment, her attire lacking the smallest trace of dirt.
• Frequent accounts describe cellphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Feelings range from complete terror to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals state seeing strange rashes on their arms, perceiving disembodied whispers through the forest, or sense fingers clutching them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the tales may be hard to prove, numerous elements visibly present that is definitely bizarre. Everywhere you look are plants whose bases are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Multiple explanations have been proposed to account for the abnormal growth: strong gales could have shaped the young trees, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the earth cause their crooked growth.

But formal examinations have found no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

The guide's tours allow participants to participate in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the clearing in the woods where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO pictures, he passes the visitor an electromagnetic field detector which measures energy patterns.

"We're entering the most active section of the forest," he states. "Discover what's here."

The trees suddenly stop dead as they step into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this strange clearing is wild, not the result of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a place which fuels fantasy, where the division is unclear between fact and folklore. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing vampires, who return from burial sites to haunt local communities.

Bram Stoker's renowned character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure situated on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "the count's residence".

But even myth-shrouded Transylvania – literally, "the place beyond the forest" – feels tangible and comprehensible versus the haunted grove, which appear to be, for causes radioactive, environmental or entirely legendary, a nexus for fantasy projection.

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