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"They call this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," states a local guide, his breath creating clouds of mist in the cold dusk atmosphere. "Numerous visitors have gone missing here, many believe it's a portal to a parallel world." Marius is escorting a visitor on a night walk through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient indigenous forest on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of bizarre occurrences here extend back hundreds of years – this woodland is called after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the distant past, accompanied by 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea captured on film what he described as a UFO suspended above a circular clearing in the heart of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he states, facing the traveler with a grin. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, ufologists and paranormal investigators from around the globe, interested in encountering the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being a top global pilgrimage sites for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is facing danger. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, described as the innovation center of eastern Europe – are expanding, and real estate firms are pushing for authorization to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Barring a few hectares containing regionally uncommon specific tree species, this woodland is without conservation status, but Marius believes that the organization he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will help to change that, motivating the authorities to appreciate the forest's value as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and autumn leaves snap and crunch beneath their boots, the guide recounts numerous local legends and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story describes a young child going missing during a group gathering, later to return half a decade later with complete amnesia of what had happened, without aging a single day, her clothes lacking the slightest speck of soil.
• More common reports describe mobile phones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on entering the woods.
• Emotional responses vary from full-blown dread to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors claim noticing bizarre skin irritations on their arms, perceiving ghostly voices through the woodland, or feel hands grabbing them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the accounts may be unverifiable, there is much visibly present that is undeniably strange. All around are trees whose stems are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Various suggestions have been suggested to explain the deformed trees: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the soil cause their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have found no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's excursions allow participants to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. When nearing the opening in the forest where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO images, he passes the visitor an EMF meter which detects electromagnetic fields.

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

The vegetation abruptly end as we emerge into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath their shoes; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this unusual opening is wild, not the creation of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a place which stirs the imagination, where the border is unclear between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, appearance-altering creatures, who rise from their graves to terrorise regional populations.

Bram Stoker's famous vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a medieval building located on a cliff edge in the Transylvanian Alps – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – feels solid and predictable versus this spooky forest, which seem to be, for factors radioactive, atmospheric or purely mythical, a center for creative energy.

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