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"People refer to this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," states a tour guide, his breath creating wisps of condensation in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "Numerous visitors have gone missing here, some say it's a portal to a different realm." This expert is guiding a guest on a nocturnal tour through what is often described as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of primeval local woods on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of unusual events here go back hundreds of years – this woodland is titled for a regional herder who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, accompanied by 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker called Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a flying saucer suspended above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he states, facing the traveler with a grin. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, spiritual healers, ufologists and paranormal investigators from around the globe, curious to experience the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for supernatural fans, this woodland is at risk. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, known as the innovation center of the region – are expanding, and developers are pushing for approval to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Barring a limited section home to locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, the forest is without conservation status, but the guide hopes that the organization he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the authorities to recognise the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their boots, the guide tells numerous folk tales and alleged supernatural events here.

• One famous story tells of a five-year-old girl vanishing during a family picnic, then to return half a decade later with no recollection of the events, showing no signs of aging a day, her attire lacking the smallest trace of dust.
• Frequent accounts detail cellphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses vary from complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Some people report observing bizarre skin irritations on their bodies, perceiving unseen murmurs through the woodland, or experience fingers clutching them, even when sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

Despite several of the accounts may be impossible to confirm, numerous elements clearly observable that is certainly unusual. All around are vegetation whose bases are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

Multiple explanations have been given to account for the misshapen plants: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or naturally high radiation levels in the earth explain their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's tours allow guests to take part in a modest investigation of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the trees where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO images, he passes the visitor an EMF meter which detects electromagnetic fields.

"We're entering the most powerful part of the forest," he comments. "See what you can find."

The trees abruptly end as the group enters into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and seems that this strange clearing is organic, not the work of people.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a location which stirs the imagination, where the line is indistinct between reality and legend. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, form-changing vampires, who return from burial sites to haunt local communities.

The famous author's renowned fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building located on a cliff edge in the Transylvanian Alps – is keenly marketed as "the count's residence".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – appears real and understandable in contrast to these eerie woods, which appear to be, for reasons nuclear, climatic or entirely legendary, a nexus for human imaginative power.

"Within this forest," Marius comments, "the boundary between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."