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"People refer to this spot a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks a local guide, the air from his lungs forming puffs of vapor in the chilly evening air. "Numerous individuals have vanished here, it's thought it's a portal to another dimension." The guide is leading a traveler on a nocturnal tour 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 outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here extend back centuries – this woodland is titled for a area shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the distant past, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu came to international attention in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea took a picture of what he reported as a UFO hovering above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But don't worry," he continues, turning to the traveler with a grin. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has drawn meditation experts, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from worldwide, interested in encountering the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

Despite being a top global destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, this woodland is under threat. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the Silicon Valley of eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are advocating for approval to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Barring a few hectares home to locally rare specific tree species, the grove is lacking legal protection, but the guide hopes that the company he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, persuading the government officials to appreciate the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Eerie Encounters

When small sticks and seasonal debris snap and crunch beneath their boots, Marius describes numerous local legends and reported ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale describes a little girl vanishing during a group gathering, later to reappear five years later with complete amnesia of her experience, showing no signs of aging a single day, her clothes lacking the slightest speck of dust.
• Regular stories describe cellphones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Feelings range from full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors report observing unusual marks on their arms, detecting ghostly voices through the woodland, or feel fingers clutching them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the stories may be impossible to confirm, there are many things visibly present that is definitely bizarre. All around are plants whose stems are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been proposed to account for the misshapen plants: strong gales could have shaped the young trees, or typically increased radioactivity in the ground explain their unusual development.

But formal examinations have turned up inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

The expert's tours enable guests to take part in a little scientific inquiry of their own. As we approach the clearing in the forest where Barnea photographed his famous UFO photographs, he gives the visitor an ghost-hunting device which measures energy patterns.

"We're stepping into the most active part of the forest," he states. "Try to detect something."

The plants suddenly stop dead as they step into a complete ring. The only greenery is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's clear that it's not maintained, and seems that this bizarre meadow is organic, not the result of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

This part of Romania is a area which inspires creativity, where the border is indistinct between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, form-changing vampires, who emerge from tombs to frighten regional populations.

The novelist's renowned character Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building situated on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – feels tangible and comprehensible versus the haunted grove, which appear to be, for factors radioactive, environmental or entirely legendary, a hub for fantasy projection.

"Inside these woods," Marius says, "the division between reality and imagination is very thin."