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"They call this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," remarks a tour guide, his breath creating wisps of vapor in the crisp night air. "Countless people have gone missing here, many believe there's a gateway to a different realm." Marius is guiding a guest on a evening stroll through what is often described as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of primeval local woods on the outskirts of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here extend back a long time – this woodland is called after a area shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, accompanied by 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a unidentified flying object suspended above a circular clearing in the centre of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and never came out. But don't worry," he adds, facing his guest with a smile. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn meditation experts, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and paranormal investigators from across the world, curious to experience the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be one of the world's premier hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is at risk. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of a population exceeding 400,000, called the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and developers are campaigning for permission to clear the trees to construct residential buildings.

Aside from a few hectares home to regionally uncommon specific tree species, the grove is without conservation status, but Marius hopes that the organization he was instrumental in creating – a local conservation effort – will help to change that, persuading the local administrators to recognise the forest's value as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

As twigs and seasonal debris snap and crunch beneath their boots, the guide recounts numerous local legends and reported paranormal happenings here.

• A popular tale describes a little girl vanishing during a family picnic, only to rematerialise five years later with no memory of her experience, showing no signs of aging a single day, her garments shy of the tiniest bit of dust.
• More common reports explain mobile phones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on entering the woods.
• Reactions include absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors report seeing unusual marks on their arms, perceiving disembodied whispers through the trees, or experience fingers clutching them, although sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the accounts may be unverifiable, numerous elements visibly present that is undeniably strange. All around are trees whose stems are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been proposed to explain the abnormal growth: that hurricane winds could have shaped the young trees, or naturally high radioactivity in the ground cause their strange formation.

But research studies have discovered inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's walks permit guests to take part in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the trees where Barnea took his famous UFO images, he passes the traveler an ghost-hunting device which registers electromagnetic fields.

"We're stepping into the most powerful area of the forest," he comments. "Discover what's here."

The vegetation immediately cease as they step into a flawless round. The single plant life is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and seems that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the work of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a area which fuels fantasy, where the line is blurred between truth and myth. In rural Romanian communities superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, appearance-altering creatures, who return from burial sites to haunt nearby villages.

The novelist's well-known fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure situated on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – feels tangible and comprehensible in contrast to these eerie woods, which appear to be, for reasons radioactive, climatic or simply folkloric, a center for human imaginative power.

"Within this forest," Marius says, "the division between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."