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"Locals dub this spot a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, his breath producing wisps of condensation in the crisp evening air. "So many people have disappeared here, some say it's an entrance to a parallel world." This expert is leading a guest on a nocturnal tour through what is often described as the globe's spookiest forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth local woods on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of unusual events here go back a long time – the grove is named after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the long ago, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu came to worldwide fame in 1968, when an army specialist known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a UFO suspended above a round opening in the middle of the forest.

Many came in here and failed to return. But rest assured," he continues, turning to the visitor with a smirk. "Our tours have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, ufologists and ghost hunters from across the world, interested in encountering the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being a top global destinations for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of over 400,000 residents, known as the tech capital of the region – are expanding, and developers are pushing for approval to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Barring a limited section containing locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, the forest is lacking legal protection, but the guide hopes that the company he was instrumental in creating – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the government officials to acknowledge the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

As twigs and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide recounts some of the folk tales and reported supernatural events here.

• One famous story describes a little girl vanishing during a family picnic, then to reappear after five years with no memory of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a single day, her clothes lacking the tiniest bit of dirt.
• Frequent accounts describe smartphones and photography gear mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions range from complete terror to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals report noticing unusual marks on their arms, hearing disembodied whispers through the woodland, or feel palms pushing them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the stories may be unverifiable, there are many things before my eyes that is undeniably strange. All around are plants whose trunks are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Multiple explanations have been proposed to account for the misshapen plants: strong gales could have shaped the young trees, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the soil account for their crooked growth.

But formal examinations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

The expert's excursions enable visitors to participate in a small-scale research of their own. When nearing the opening in the woods where Barnea took his renowned UFO pictures, he gives the traveler an electromagnetic field detector which measures electromagnetic fields.

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

The plants suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a complete ring. The single plant life is the trimmed turf beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and appears that this unusual opening is wild, not the work of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a location which fuels fantasy, where the line is blurred between reality and legend. In rural Romanian communities superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, form-changing creatures, who return from burial sites to frighten nearby villages.

Bram Stoker's renowned character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building situated on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is keenly marketed as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the territory after the grove" – seems tangible and comprehensible compared to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for factors radioactive, atmospheric or entirely legendary, a hub for creative energy.

"Inside these woods," Marius states, "the boundary between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."