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"People refer to this location an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, the air from his lungs creating wisps of vapor in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "Numerous people have disappeared here, some say there's a gateway to a different realm." This expert is guiding a guest on a evening stroll through commonly known as the planet's most ghostly forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth native woodland on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of strange happenings here go back a long time – the grove is called after a regional herder who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved global recognition in 1968, when a defense worker called Emil Barnea photographed what he reported as a flying saucer hovering above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But rest assured," he continues, facing the visitor with a smile. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in meditation experts, traditional medicine people, ufologists and paranormal investigators from worldwide, interested in encountering the mysterious powers reported to reverberate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Although it is a top global destinations for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, called the innovation center of eastern Europe – are advancing, and developers are campaigning for permission to clear the trees to erect housing complexes.

Except for a limited section housing locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is without conservation status, but the guide believes that the organization he helped establish – a local conservation effort – will help to change that, motivating the authorities to appreciate the forest's importance as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide tells some of the traditional stories and alleged supernatural events here.

• One famous story describes a five-year-old girl going missing during a family outing, only to rematerialise five years later with complete amnesia of her experience, having not aged a day, her attire lacking the smallest trace of soil.
• Regular stories describe cellphones and photography gear inexplicably shutting down on venturing inside.
• Reactions include complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Certain individuals claim seeing bizarre skin irritations on their arms, perceiving disembodied whispers through the woodland, or experience palms pushing them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the tales may be hard to prove, there are many things clearly observable that is definitely bizarre. All around are trees whose trunks are warped and gnarled into unusual forms.

Different theories have been given to account for the misshapen plants: that hurricane winds could have shaped the young trees, or inherently elevated electromagnetic fields in the ground account for their crooked growth.

But formal examinations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Legendary Opening

The expert's walks permit visitors to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. When nearing the opening in the forest where Barnea took his famous UFO pictures, he gives the traveler an EMF meter which detects energy patterns.

"We're stepping into the most powerful section of the forest," he states. "Try to detect something."

The plants abruptly end as they step into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and looks that this unusual opening is natural, not the result of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the division is blurred between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, appearance-altering creatures, who emerge from tombs to haunt nearby villages.

The novelist's well-known character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure located on a rocky outcrop in the Transylvanian Alps – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – appears solid and predictable in contrast to these eerie woods, which appear to be, for factors related to radiation, environmental or simply folkloric, a hub for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide comments, "the division between fact and fiction is extremely fine."