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"Locals dub this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, the air from his lungs creating wisps of mist in the chilly evening air. "Countless visitors have disappeared here, some say it's a portal to a different realm." This expert is leading a guest on a evening stroll through commonly known as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient native woodland on the edges of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of bizarre occurrences here extend back a long time – 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 global recognition in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a unidentified flying object suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But don't worry," he adds, facing his guest with a grin. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from around the globe, eager to feel the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be a top global pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, this woodland is at risk. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, described as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and developers are advocating for permission to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Except for a limited section housing locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is without conservation status, but Marius is confident that the organization he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, motivating the government officials to recognise the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

As twigs and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their shoes, Marius tells various folk tales and claimed supernatural events here.

• A well-known account describes a young child going missing during a family outing, then to rematerialise after five years with no memory of what had happened, without aging a single day, her attire lacking the smallest trace of dust.
• More common reports detail smartphones and imaging devices inexplicably shutting down on entering the woods.
• Reactions vary from full-blown dread to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors claim noticing unusual marks on their bodies, detecting ghostly voices through the forest, or experience hands grabbing them, even when certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

While many of the stories may be unverifiable, there is much clearly observable that is certainly unusual. Throughout the area are plants whose trunks are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been suggested to explain the misshapen plants: strong gales could have altered the growth, or naturally high radioactivity in the earth account for their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

The guide's walks permit guests to take part in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the trees where Barnea photographed his famous UFO pictures, he passes the traveler an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most powerful area of the forest," he says. "Try to detect something."

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath their shoes; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and appears that this strange clearing is wild, not the work of human hands.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a location which stirs the imagination, where the division is unclear between truth and myth. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to frighten nearby villages.

Bram Stoker's renowned character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure situated on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – literally, "the land past the woods" – seems solid and predictable compared to this spooky forest, which appear to be, for causes radioactive, climatic or simply folkloric, a nexus for human imaginative power.

"Within this forest," the guide comments, "the boundary between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."