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"They call this location a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks a tour guide, his exhalation producing clouds of vapor in the cold evening air. "Countless visitors have disappeared here, it's thought it's a portal to a different realm." This expert is guiding a guest on a nocturnal tour through commonly known as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient indigenous forest on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Stories of bizarre occurrences here extend back a long time – the forest is named after a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the distant past, along with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea took a picture of what he reported as a unidentified flying object floating above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Many came in here and never came out. But don't worry," he adds, turning to the traveler with a smile. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from around the globe, eager to feel the mysterious powers reported to reverberate through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be among the planet's leading destinations for supernatural fans, this woodland is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, described as the innovation center of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and developers are pushing for permission to cut down the woods to construct residential buildings.

Barring a limited section housing locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is not officially protected, but Marius is confident that the initiative he helped establish – a local conservation effort – will assist in altering this, persuading the government officials to acknowledge the forest's value as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and autumn leaves snap and crunch beneath their boots, Marius tells numerous traditional stories and reported supernatural events here.

• A popular tale recounts a little girl disappearing during a family outing, later to reappear after five years with no recollection of the events, showing no signs of aging a moment, her attire lacking the slightest speck of soil.
• More common reports detail smartphones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses range from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors claim observing unusual marks on their bodies, perceiving ghostly voices through the woodland, or experience fingers clutching them, although convinced they're by themselves.

Research Efforts

Despite several of the accounts may be unverifiable, there are many things visibly present that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are trees whose bases are curved and contorted into unusual forms.

Various suggestions have been proposed to explain the misshapen plants: that hurricane winds could have altered the growth, or typically increased radiation levels in the soil cause their crooked growth.

But research studies have found inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's excursions enable guests to participate in a small-scale research of their own. When nearing the clearing in the woods where Barnea photographed his famous UFO pictures, he hands his guest an EMF meter which measures energy patterns.

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

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as we emerge into a perfect circle. The single plant life is the short grass beneath our feet; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and seems that this strange clearing is organic, not the result of human hands.

The Blurred Line

Transylvania generally is a place which stirs the imagination, where the line is blurred between truth and myth. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to haunt nearby villages.

The novelist's renowned vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building situated on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – feels real and understandable in contrast to these eerie woods, which appear to be, for reasons radioactive, atmospheric or simply folkloric, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," Marius comments, "the line between truth and fantasy is very thin."