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"They call this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, the air from his lungs creating wisps of condensation in the crisp evening air. "Countless people have gone missing here, some say it's an entrance to a different realm." This expert is leading a guest on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of primeval native woodland on the edges of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of unusual events here go back hundreds of years – this woodland is named after a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, together with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a unidentified flying object hovering above a circular clearing in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and failed to return. But don't worry," he adds, facing his guest with a smirk. "Our guided walks have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, shamans, ufologists and supernatural researchers from across the world, eager to feel the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Despite being one of the world's premier hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of a population exceeding 400,000, called the innovation center of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and real estate firms are pushing for permission to remove the forest to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a limited section home to locally rare specific tree species, the grove is without conservation status, but the guide hopes that the organization he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, persuading the authorities to appreciate the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

While branches and autumn leaves snap and crunch beneath their boots, Marius describes various local legends and reported paranormal happenings here.

• A well-known account tells of a young child disappearing during a family outing, then to rematerialise after five years with complete amnesia of her experience, showing no signs of aging a moment, her garments without the smallest trace of dirt.
• More common reports explain smartphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on entering the woods.
• Feelings vary from complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Some people state noticing unusual marks on their arms, perceiving unseen murmurs through the forest, or feel fingers clutching them, although convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

Despite several of the tales may be unverifiable, numerous elements before my eyes that is certainly unusual. All around are plants whose bases are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

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

But formal examinations have turned up inconclusive results.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's walks permit visitors to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. As we approach the clearing in the woods where Barnea captured his renowned UFO photographs, he hands the visitor an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

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

The vegetation abruptly end as they step into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's clear that it's not maintained, and seems that this bizarre meadow is wild, not the work of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the division is unclear between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, appearance-altering vampires, who rise from their graves to haunt regional populations.

The famous author's renowned vampire Count Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure situated on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But including myth-shrouded Transylvania – literally, "the land past the woods" – feels tangible and comprehensible compared to the haunted grove, which appear to be, for factors nuclear, climatic or simply folkloric, a center for human imaginative power.

"Within this forest," the guide says, "the boundary between fact and fiction is extremely fine."