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"Locals dub this location the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," explains a local guide, his breath forming puffs of condensation in the cold night air. "Countless visitors have disappeared here, some say it's a portal to another dimension." This expert is escorting a guest on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of bizarre occurrences here extend back a long time – this woodland is named after a regional herder who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, along with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a unidentified flying object floating above a round opening in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But no need to fear," he states, turning to the traveler with a smile. "Our excursions have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, spiritual healers, ufologists and paranormal investigators from worldwide, interested in encountering the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

It may be among the planet's leading hotspots for supernatural fans, the grove is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, called the tech capital of the region – are expanding, and real estate firms are advocating for authorization to clear the trees to erect housing complexes.

Except for a small area housing locally rare specific tree species, the forest is lacking legal protection, but the guide is confident that the company he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, motivating the government officials to appreciate the forest's value as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and seasonal debris split and rustle beneath their boots, Marius recounts various local legends and claimed paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story tells of a little girl vanishing during a family picnic, only to reappear five years later with complete amnesia of the events, showing no signs of aging a moment, her clothes lacking the tiniest bit of soil.
• Regular stories detail mobile phones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on venturing inside.
• Reactions range from full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors claim seeing unusual marks on their skin, perceiving unseen murmurs through the woodland, or experience hands grabbing them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the stories may be hard to prove, there are many things visibly present that is certainly unusual. Throughout the area are vegetation whose stems are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Different theories have been suggested to explain the abnormal growth: that hurricane winds could have bent the saplings, or naturally high radiation levels in the soil explain their crooked growth.

But research studies have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's excursions enable participants to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. As we approach the meadow in the forest where Barnea took his well-known UFO images, he passes the visitor an electromagnetic field detector which detects energy patterns.

"We're stepping into the most active section of the forest," he says. "See what you can find."

The vegetation abruptly end as they step into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and looks that this unusual opening is organic, not the work of human hands.

The Blurred Line

Transylvania generally is a area which stirs the imagination, where the line is indistinct between truth and myth. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, shapeshifting creatures, who return from burial sites to frighten regional populations.

Bram Stoker's famous character Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure located on a cliff edge in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "the count's residence".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the territory after the grove" – seems solid and predictable in contrast to the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for causes related to radiation, environmental or entirely legendary, a center for fantasy projection.

"Within this forest," the guide comments, "the division between truth and fantasy is very thin."