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"People refer to this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states a local guide, his breath creating clouds of vapor in the cold night air. "Countless people have disappeared here, some say there's a gateway to a different realm." Marius is escorting a visitor on a night walk through what is often described as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval local woods on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of unusual events here date back hundreds of years – the grove is called after a regional herder who is reportedly went missing in the distant past, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he described as a UFO hovering above a oval meadow in the heart of the forest.

Many came in here and failed to return. But no need to fear," he continues, turning to his guest with a smirk. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from worldwide, interested in encountering the strange energies believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

Although it is among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for supernatural fans, the grove is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of over 400,000 residents, known as the Silicon Valley of the region – are expanding, and real estate firms are campaigning for approval to clear the trees to construct residential buildings.

Except for a small area housing area-specific oak varieties, the forest is not officially protected, but the guide hopes that the company he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the authorities to appreciate the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

When small sticks and fall foliage snap and crunch beneath their shoes, the guide describes numerous folk tales and reported paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story tells of a little girl going missing during a group gathering, only to return five years later with no recollection of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a single day, her attire without the smallest trace of dust.
• Frequent accounts describe mobile phones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses vary from absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals state seeing unusual marks on their skin, detecting disembodied whispers through the trees, or experience fingers clutching them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

Despite several of the stories may be impossible to confirm, numerous elements before my eyes that is certainly unusual. Throughout the area are trees whose trunks are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been proposed to clarify the misshapen plants: strong gales could have altered the growth, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the earth cause their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have turned up inconclusive results.

The Famous Clearing

Marius's tours permit participants to participate in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the forest where Barnea captured his well-known UFO pictures, he passes the visitor an electromagnetic field detector which measures electromagnetic fields.

"We're entering the most powerful section of the forest," he comments. "See what you can find."

The plants abruptly end as the group enters into a flawless round. The only greenery is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this unusual opening is wild, not the work of people.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a location which stirs the imagination, where the division is unclear between reality and legend. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting bloodsuckers, who return from burial sites to haunt local communities.

Bram Stoker's well-known character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure situated on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – literally, "the land past the woods" – appears real and understandable in contrast to these eerie woods, which seem to be, for factors radioactive, climatic or simply folkloric, a hub for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide states, "the line between truth and fantasy is remarkably blurred."