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"Locals dub this location a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states a local guide, his breath producing puffs of mist in the crisp evening air. "Countless people have disappeared here, it's thought it's an entrance to another dimension." The guide is escorting a traveler on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of unusual events here go back hundreds of years – the forest is named after a regional herder who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu came to worldwide fame in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a flying saucer floating above a round opening in the middle of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But don't worry," he adds, turning to his guest with a smile. "Our excursions have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, shamans, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from worldwide, curious to experience the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being among the planet's leading hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of over 400,000 residents, described as the innovation center of the region – are advancing, and real estate firms are advocating for permission to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a limited section home to regionally uncommon oak varieties, this woodland is not officially protected, but Marius believes that the company he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the authorities to acknowledge the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and seasonal debris snap and crunch beneath their boots, the guide recounts numerous folk tales and reported supernatural events here.

• One famous story recounts a five-year-old girl disappearing during a family picnic, then to return half a decade later with no memory of her experience, showing no signs of aging a moment, her attire without the smallest trace of dirt.
• Frequent accounts detail smartphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on entering the woods.
• Feelings include complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Certain individuals report seeing strange rashes on their bodies, detecting disembodied whispers through the forest, or feel palms pushing them, even when certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Despite several of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there are many things visibly present that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are plants whose stems are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Different theories have been suggested to account for the misshapen plants: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the ground explain their crooked growth.

But formal examinations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Legendary Opening

The guide's tours allow visitors to take part in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the clearing in the trees where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO images, he passes the visitor an EMF meter which measures electromagnetic fields.

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

The plants abruptly end as they step into a complete ring. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath our feet; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the creation of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

The broader region is a area which inspires creativity, where the line is unclear between reality and legend. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering vampires, who return from burial sites to haunt nearby villages.

The famous author's well-known vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure located on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But even myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – seems solid and predictable in contrast to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for factors radioactive, environmental or simply folkloric, a hub for creative energy.

"Within this forest," Marius states, "the division between fact and fiction is very thin."