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"They call this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a tour guide, his exhalation producing wisps of vapor in the cold night air. "So many individuals have disappeared here, some say it's a portal to another dimension." This expert 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 old-growth indigenous forest on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Stories of bizarre occurrences here date back centuries – this woodland is titled for a regional herder who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea took a picture of what he claimed was a UFO suspended above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But no need to fear," he adds, facing the traveler with a smirk. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, ufologists and supernatural researchers from across the world, eager to feel the strange energies believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Despite being among the planet's leading destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of more than 400,000 people, called the innovation center of eastern Europe – are encroaching, and developers are pushing for permission to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Barring a limited section home to area-specific specific tree species, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but the guide believes that the company he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the government officials to acknowledge the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and seasonal debris split and rustle beneath their shoes, Marius recounts some of the local legends and claimed ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story describes a little girl disappearing during a family picnic, only to return five years later with complete amnesia of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a single day, her clothes shy of the slightest speck of dust.
• Frequent accounts describe smartphones and photography gear mysteriously turning off on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses include full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors claim seeing bizarre skin irritations on their bodies, perceiving disembodied whispers through the trees, or sense hands grabbing them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Research Efforts

While many of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there are many things visibly present that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are plants whose bases are warped and gnarled into unusual forms.

Different theories have been given to account for the deformed trees: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or naturally high electromagnetic fields in the soil explain their unusual development.

But formal examinations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's tours permit guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the meadow in the woods where Barnea photographed his famous UFO photographs, he hands the traveler an EMF meter which measures energy patterns.

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

The plants immediately cease as they step into a complete ring. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath our feet; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and seems that this unusual opening is natural, not the work of human hands.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a location which stirs the imagination, where the border is blurred between reality and legend. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering bloodsuckers, who return from burial sites to frighten nearby villages.

Bram Stoker's well-known character Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a Saxon monolith situated on a rocky outcrop in the Transylvanian Alps – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – seems tangible and comprehensible in contrast to this spooky forest, which appear to be, for reasons nuclear, climatic or entirely legendary, a hub for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide states, "the line between fact and fiction is extremely fine."