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"They call this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, his breath producing puffs of condensation in the cold evening air. "Numerous individuals have gone missing here, it's thought it's a portal to a parallel world." This expert is guiding a visitor on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the globe's spookiest forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient local woods on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Stories of unusual events here go back centuries – the forest is called after a area shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a unidentified flying object hovering above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But no need to fear," he continues, turning to his guest with a smile. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has brought in meditation experts, traditional medicine people, ufologists and paranormal investigators from across the world, interested in encountering the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being among the planet's leading destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is under threat. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, described as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and construction companies are pushing for permission to clear the trees to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a few hectares housing regionally uncommon specific tree species, this woodland is not officially protected, but the guide hopes that the organization he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the government officials to recognise the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

When small sticks and seasonal debris split and rustle beneath their footwear, the guide describes numerous traditional stories and claimed paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story recounts a young child vanishing during a family picnic, later to return after five years with no memory of the events, having not aged a single day, her clothes shy of the slightest speck of dirt.
• Frequent accounts describe smartphones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses range from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Certain individuals state seeing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, perceiving unseen murmurs through the woodland, or experience fingers clutching them, although sure they are alone.

Research Efforts

While many of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there are many things before my eyes that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are trees whose bases are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been suggested to explain the abnormal growth: strong gales could have shaped the young trees, or naturally high electromagnetic fields in the earth account for their crooked growth.

But research studies have discovered inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's tours enable guests to take part in a modest investigation of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the trees where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO photographs, he hands his guest an EMF meter which measures energy patterns.

"We're stepping into the most active section of the forest," he comments. "Try to detect something."

The plants immediately cease as the group enters into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath our feet; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the work of human hands.

The Blurred Line

The broader region is a area which stirs the imagination, where the border is blurred between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, shapeshifting vampires, who rise from their graves to terrorise regional populations.

The famous author's famous vampire Count Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure situated on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – literally, "the territory after the grove" – feels real and understandable versus this spooky forest, which seem to be, for causes radioactive, climatic or entirely legendary, a nexus for fantasy projection.

"Within this forest," Marius comments, "the boundary between truth and fantasy is very thin."