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"They call this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a local guide, the air from his lungs producing clouds of vapor in the crisp night air. "Numerous people have gone missing here, it's thought it's a portal to a different realm." Marius is guiding a guest on a night walk through commonly known as the globe's spookiest woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth native woodland on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here date back a long time – the forest is called after a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the long ago, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a unidentified flying object suspended above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and failed to return. But don't worry," he states, facing the traveler with a smirk. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yogis, spiritual healers, ufologists and ghost hunters from around the globe, curious to experience the strange energies reported to reverberate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be a top global pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of over 400,000 residents, described as the innovation center of eastern Europe – are advancing, and real estate firms are pushing for permission to remove the forest to erect housing complexes.

Except for a few hectares home to locally rare oak varieties, the grove is not officially protected, but Marius believes that the company he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will help to change that, persuading the local administrators to recognise the forest's importance as a travel hotspot.

Chilling Events

While branches and seasonal debris break and crackle beneath their footwear, Marius recounts some of the traditional stories and claimed ghostly incidents here.

• A well-known account describes 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 garments shy of the smallest trace of dust.
• More common reports explain mobile phones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions range from complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors state seeing unusual marks on their skin, perceiving disembodied whispers through the woodland, or experience palms pushing them, despite being sure they are alone.

Research Efforts

Despite several of the stories may be hard to prove, there is much before my eyes that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are vegetation whose trunks are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been suggested to account for the deformed trees: strong gales could have shaped the young trees, or typically increased radioactivity in the earth explain their unusual development.

But research studies have discovered inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

The guide's walks 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 images, he hands the traveler an ghost-hunting device which detects EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most active section of the forest," he comments. "Try to detect something."

The plants abruptly end as the group enters into a perfect circle. The single plant life is the trimmed turf beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and looks that this strange clearing is natural, not the result of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a location which fuels fantasy, where the border is indistinct between truth and myth. In traditional settlements belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, form-changing bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to frighten regional populations.

The famous author's renowned character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building perched on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is heavily promoted as "the count's residence".

But including myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the land past the woods" – appears tangible and comprehensible compared to these eerie woods, which appear to be, for causes radioactive, climatic or entirely legendary, a center for fantasy projection.

"Inside these woods," Marius states, "the division between truth and fantasy is remarkably blurred."