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"People refer to this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, his exhalation creating puffs of condensation in the cold dusk atmosphere. "So many people have vanished here, many believe it's a portal to another dimension." The guide is guiding a traveler on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient native woodland on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Stories of bizarre occurrences here date back a long time – the forest is titled for a local shepherd who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a UFO hovering above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Many came in here and failed to return. But no need to fear," he continues, addressing his guest with a smirk. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from around the globe, curious to experience the strange energies believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Despite being a top global destinations for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, called the tech capital of Eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are pushing for permission to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Except for a limited section housing locally rare oak varieties, the forest is lacking legal protection, but the guide hopes that the company he co-founded – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, motivating the local administrators to recognise the forest's value as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and fall foliage snap and crunch beneath their boots, the guide tells various local legends and claimed ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story recounts a five-year-old girl going missing during a group gathering, later to reappear after five years with no recollection of the events, without aging a single day, her garments lacking the smallest trace of dust.
• Regular stories explain cellphones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Feelings vary from absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Some people state observing strange rashes on their bodies, detecting ghostly voices through the trees, or feel fingers clutching them, even when certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

Despite several of the stories may be impossible to confirm, numerous elements clearly observable that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are vegetation whose trunks are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been given to account for the abnormal growth: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or naturally high radiation levels in the soil account for their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have found inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

The expert's tours permit visitors to engage 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 traveler an electromagnetic field detector which registers electromagnetic fields.

"We're stepping into the most powerful part of the forest," he says. "See what you can find."

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as they step into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath their shoes; it's clear that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the creation of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the line is blurred between truth and myth. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, shapeshifting vampires, who emerge from tombs to haunt nearby villages.

Bram Stoker's well-known fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a Saxon monolith situated on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – feels real and understandable in contrast to these eerie woods, which appear to be, for causes related to radiation, climatic or purely mythical, a center for fantasy projection.

"Inside these woods," the guide says, "the division between reality and imagination is extremely fine."