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"People refer to this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a tour guide, the air from his lungs forming clouds of mist in the chilly night air. "So many visitors have gone missing here, many believe it's an entrance to a different realm." Marius is escorting a guest on a evening stroll through commonly known as the globe's spookiest woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of primeval native woodland on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of bizarre occurrences here date back hundreds of years – this woodland is named after a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu came to global recognition in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea photographed what he reported as a unidentified flying object hovering above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But no need to fear," he continues, turning to the visitor with a smirk. "Our tours have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in meditation experts, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and paranormal investigators from across the world, interested in encountering the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.

Current Risks

Although it is among the planet's leading hotspots for supernatural fans, this woodland is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the tech capital of the region – are expanding, and construction companies are advocating for permission to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a few hectares home to area-specific specific tree species, this woodland is without conservation status, but Marius believes that the organization he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will assist in altering this, encouraging the authorities to appreciate the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Eerie Encounters

While branches and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their footwear, Marius recounts numerous folk tales and reported ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale describes a five-year-old girl vanishing during a family outing, only to reappear five years later with complete amnesia of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a single day, her garments shy of the tiniest bit of dirt.
• More common reports detail mobile phones and imaging devices inexplicably shutting down on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses range from full-blown dread to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors claim seeing unusual marks on their arms, hearing unseen murmurs through the woodland, or experience hands grabbing them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

While many of the stories may be impossible to confirm, there are many things visibly present that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are trees whose trunks are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been given to account for the deformed trees: that hurricane winds could have altered the growth, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the earth cause their unusual development.

But formal examinations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's excursions enable participants to take part in a modest investigation of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the woods where Barnea captured his famous UFO pictures, he passes the visitor an ghost-hunting device which detects electromagnetic fields.

"We're venturing into the most powerful area of the forest," he says. "See what you can find."

The plants immediately cease as we emerge into a complete ring. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath our feet; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this strange clearing is wild, not the result of people.

Fact Versus Fiction

The broader region is a area which inspires creativity, where the line is blurred between reality and legend. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting vampires, who return from burial sites to terrorise local communities.

The famous author's well-known fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure located on a cliff edge in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "the count's residence".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – appears solid and predictable compared to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for reasons radioactive, climatic or entirely legendary, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide comments, "the line between truth and fantasy is extremely fine."