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"They call this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," explains an experienced guide, the air from his lungs producing puffs of condensation in the cold night air. "Numerous individuals have gone missing here, some say there's a gateway to another dimension." Marius is escorting a visitor on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval indigenous forest on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Accounts of unusual events here extend back centuries – the forest is titled for a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the long ago, together with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea photographed what he reported as a unidentified flying object floating above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But no need to fear," he adds, turning to the visitor with a grin. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, extraterrestrial investigators and paranormal investigators from around the globe, interested in encountering the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Despite being one of the world's premier hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of over 400,000 residents, known as the tech capital of the region – are expanding, and construction companies are pushing for permission to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Except for a small area housing regionally uncommon Mediterranean oak trees, the grove is without conservation status, but Marius is confident that the company he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will help to change that, encouraging the authorities to acknowledge the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their footwear, the guide describes some of the folk tales and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• A well-known account recounts a young child going missing during a family outing, then to return half a decade later with no recollection of the events, showing no signs of aging a single day, her clothes shy of the smallest trace of soil.
• Frequent accounts describe smartphones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on stepping into the forest.
• Feelings include full-blown dread to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals claim observing unusual marks on their bodies, detecting ghostly voices through the woodland, or sense hands grabbing them, even when sure they are alone.

Study Attempts

While many of the tales may be hard to prove, there is much clearly observable that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are plants whose trunks are curved and contorted into unusual forms.

Multiple explanations have been proposed to explain the misshapen plants: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated electromagnetic fields in the ground account for their crooked growth.

But formal examinations have found insufficient proof.

The Famous Clearing

The guide's excursions allow participants to participate in a modest investigation of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the trees where Barnea captured his famous UFO pictures, he passes the traveler an electromagnetic field detector which detects EMF readings.

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

The plants immediately cease as we emerge into a flawless round. The single plant life is the short grass beneath our feet; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and looks that this bizarre meadow is organic, not the work of people.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a location which stirs the imagination, where the division is unclear between reality and legend. In rural Romanian communities superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, appearance-altering creatures, who rise from their graves to haunt local communities.

The famous author's renowned fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building situated on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But including folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – feels real and understandable in contrast to these eerie woods, which give the impression of being, for reasons radioactive, environmental or entirely legendary, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide states, "the line between reality and imagination is extremely fine."