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"Locals dub this spot the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," states a tour guide, the air from his lungs creating wisps of condensation in the chilly night air. "Countless visitors have gone missing here, some say there's a gateway to a different realm." Marius is escorting a traveler on a nocturnal tour through what is often described as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of primeval native woodland on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of bizarre occurrences here date back centuries – this woodland is called after a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the long ago, accompanied by 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu came to international attention in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a UFO hovering above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and vanished without trace. But no need to fear," he continues, turning to his guest with a grin. "Our excursions have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, extraterrestrial investigators and paranormal investigators from across the world, curious to experience the mysterious powers reported to reverberate through the forest.

Current Risks

Although it is among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is at risk. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of a population exceeding 400,000, called the Silicon Valley of the region – are expanding, and real estate firms are campaigning for approval to remove the forest to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a limited section housing area-specific specific tree species, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but Marius hopes that the initiative he helped establish – a local conservation effort – will help to change that, encouraging the government officials to appreciate the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Eerie Encounters

As twigs and fall foliage snap and crunch beneath their boots, Marius describes various local legends and claimed paranormal happenings here.

• A well-known account recounts a young child going missing during a group gathering, later to reappear after five years with no recollection of her experience, showing no signs of aging a day, her attire without the slightest speck of soil.
• More common reports explain mobile phones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Reactions range from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Certain individuals state seeing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, hearing ghostly voices through the forest, or feel hands grabbing them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the stories may be unverifiable, there is much clearly observable that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are trees whose bases are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

Various suggestions have been given to explain the deformed trees: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the soil explain their unusual development.

But formal examinations have found no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

The guide's walks permit guests to engage in a modest investigation of their own. When nearing the opening in the forest where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO pictures, he passes the traveler an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

"We're stepping into the most energetic section of the forest," he says. "Discover what's here."

The trees suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the low vegetation beneath the ground; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and looks that this strange clearing is natural, not the work of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the division is blurred between truth and myth. In countryside villages superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to frighten nearby villages.

The novelist's renowned fictional vampire is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building located on a cliff edge in the Transylvanian Alps – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the land past the woods" – feels tangible and comprehensible compared to this spooky forest, which appear to be, for causes nuclear, climatic or entirely legendary, a hub for creative energy.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide comments, "the line between reality and imagination is very thin."