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"Locals dub this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains a tour guide, the air from his lungs forming puffs of condensation in the crisp night air. "Countless people have gone missing here, some say it's a portal to another dimension." This expert is escorting a visitor on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of old-growth indigenous forest on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of unusual events here go back centuries – the forest is called after a area shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, together with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved global recognition in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea photographed what he reported as a unidentified flying object floating above a circular clearing in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But don't worry," he continues, facing the traveler with a smile. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and ghost hunters from across the world, curious to experience the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be one of the world's premier hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, known as the tech capital of the region – are expanding, and real estate firms are pushing for permission to clear the trees to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a few hectares housing regionally uncommon Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is not officially protected, but Marius believes that the organization he co-founded – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, encouraging the government officials to acknowledge the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Eerie Encounters

When small sticks and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their footwear, the guide describes numerous folk tales and reported supernatural events here.

• A popular tale tells of a five-year-old girl going missing during a family picnic, only to return half a decade later with no memory of the events, showing no signs of aging a single day, her garments without the tiniest bit of dirt.
• More common reports explain mobile phones and camera equipment mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions range from full-blown dread to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors state seeing strange rashes on their bodies, hearing unseen murmurs through the woodland, or feel hands grabbing them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

While many of the accounts may be unverifiable, there is much before my eyes that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are trees whose bases are warped and gnarled into unusual forms.

Various suggestions have been proposed to explain the deformed trees: that hurricane winds could have shaped the young trees, or typically increased radiation levels in the earth cause their unusual development.

But scientific investigations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

Marius's excursions permit visitors to take part in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the woods where Barnea photographed his famous UFO images, he passes his guest an EMF meter which detects electromagnetic fields.

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

The plants suddenly stop dead as they step into a complete ring. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and appears that this unusual opening is wild, not the work of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a location which inspires creativity, where the division is unclear between truth and myth. In rural Romanian communities superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting vampires, who emerge from tombs to haunt nearby villages.

The famous author's renowned fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a Saxon monolith situated on a stone formation in the mountain range – is heavily promoted as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the land past the woods" – feels solid and predictable in contrast to this spooky forest, which appear to be, for causes related to radiation, environmental or entirely legendary, a center for creative energy.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide says, "the boundary between reality and imagination is very thin."