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"They call this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains a local guide, the air from his lungs producing puffs of condensation in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "Numerous people have gone missing here, it's thought it's a portal to a parallel world." The guide is guiding a guest on a evening stroll through what is often described as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient indigenous forest on the fringes of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here go back hundreds of years – this woodland is called after a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, together with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a unidentified flying object suspended above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he adds, addressing his guest with a smirk. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from worldwide, curious to experience the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

It may be among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for supernatural fans, the grove is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, described as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and construction companies are pushing for permission to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Barring a small area home to regionally uncommon oak varieties, this woodland is without conservation status, but the guide hopes that the organization he co-founded – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, persuading the local administrators to appreciate the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

When small sticks and seasonal debris break and crackle beneath their boots, the guide recounts various folk tales and reported paranormal happenings here.

• A well-known account tells of a young child disappearing during a family outing, only to rematerialise half a decade later with no recollection of the events, without aging a single day, her attire without the tiniest bit of soil.
• Regular stories explain mobile phones and photography gear inexplicably shutting down on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses range from full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors claim seeing bizarre skin irritations on their bodies, detecting unseen murmurs through the woodland, or feel hands grabbing them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Research Efforts

Despite several of the stories may be unverifiable, there is much clearly observable that is definitely bizarre. Everywhere you look are plants whose bases are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

Multiple explanations have been given to clarify the misshapen plants: that hurricane winds could have altered the growth, or typically increased radioactivity in the soil cause their crooked growth.

But research studies have found no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's walks allow visitors to take part in a small-scale research of their own. When nearing the opening in the trees where Barnea took his well-known UFO images, he passes his guest an electromagnetic field detector which registers EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most powerful part of the forest," he states. "Discover what's here."

The vegetation immediately cease as the group enters into a complete ring. The single plant life is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's obvious that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this strange clearing is wild, not the work of landscaping.

Between Reality and Imagination

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the line is unclear between reality and legend. In rural Romanian communities faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, shapeshifting bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to haunt local communities.

The famous author's famous fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a medieval building situated on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But including folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – appears tangible and comprehensible compared to this spooky forest, which seem to be, for reasons related to radiation, environmental or entirely legendary, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide says, "the line between fact and fiction is remarkably blurred."