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"People refer to this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a local guide, his exhalation producing puffs of vapor in the chilly night air. "So many people have disappeared here, some say there's a gateway to another dimension." This expert is leading a traveler on a night walk through what is often described as the globe's spookiest grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval native woodland on the edges of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of bizarre occurrences here extend back hundreds of years – the forest is called after a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the distant past, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a unidentified flying object hovering above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and never came out. But don't worry," he adds, facing the traveler with a grin. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yogis, shamans, ufologists and ghost hunters from around the globe, interested in encountering the strange energies said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Although it is one of the world's premier destinations for supernatural fans, the grove is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of over 400,000 residents, described as the Silicon Valley of the region – are encroaching, and developers are pushing for authorization to cut down the woods to construct residential buildings.

Aside from a few hectares housing locally rare oak varieties, the forest is lacking legal protection, but Marius hopes that the organization he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, encouraging the local administrators to appreciate the forest's value as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and seasonal debris snap and crunch beneath their shoes, Marius tells some of the traditional stories and alleged paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story tells of a little girl vanishing during a group gathering, only to reappear five years later with complete amnesia of the events, showing no signs of aging a single day, her clothes lacking the smallest trace of dust.
• More common reports detail smartphones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on entering the woods.
• Reactions range from complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Some people claim seeing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, perceiving ghostly voices through the trees, or sense fingers clutching them, even when sure they are alone.

Research Efforts

Although numerous of the tales may be hard to prove, there is much before my eyes that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are plants whose stems are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Multiple explanations have been suggested to account for the deformed trees: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or naturally high radioactivity in the ground account for their strange formation.

But formal examinations have discovered no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's tours allow participants to take part in a modest investigation of their own. When nearing the meadow in the trees where Barnea took his renowned UFO photographs, he hands his guest an electromagnetic field detector which detects energy patterns.

"We're stepping into the most active area of the forest," he states. "Discover what's here."

The trees suddenly stop dead as we emerge into a complete ring. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and looks that this strange clearing is wild, not the creation of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a location which inspires creativity, where the division is blurred between truth and myth. In countryside villages superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting creatures, who emerge from tombs to haunt regional populations.

The novelist's well-known fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building situated on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is heavily promoted as "the count's residence".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – literally, "the land past the woods" – seems tangible and comprehensible in contrast to the haunted grove, which appear to be, for reasons radioactive, environmental or simply folkloric, a hub for fantasy projection.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide states, "the line between fact and fiction is extremely fine."