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"They call this spot the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," states a tour guide, the air from his lungs producing wisps of vapor in the chilly night air. "So many people have vanished here, it's thought it's an entrance to a parallel world." This expert is leading a visitor on a evening stroll through commonly known as the globe's spookiest forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth native woodland on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of strange happenings here go back hundreds of years – the forest is titled for a regional herder who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he described as a flying saucer floating above a circular clearing in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and never came out. But rest assured," he states, turning to the visitor with a smile. "Our excursions have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from worldwide, eager to feel the mysterious powers reported to reverberate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be a top global hotspots for supernatural fans, this woodland is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, called the tech capital of the region – are encroaching, and developers are advocating for approval to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Aside from a few hectares home to locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, the grove is without conservation status, but Marius is confident that the company he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will assist in altering this, persuading the government officials to recognise the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

As twigs and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their boots, the guide recounts numerous folk tales and reported paranormal happenings here.

• A well-known account tells of a little girl disappearing during a group gathering, then to reappear after five years with no recollection of her experience, without aging a single day, her clothes shy of the tiniest bit of dirt.
• More common reports explain cellphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Feelings range from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Some people claim seeing strange rashes on their arms, hearing disembodied whispers through the forest, or experience fingers clutching them, even when convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the stories may be hard to prove, there are many things visibly present that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are plants whose trunks are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been given to account for the misshapen plants: strong gales could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated radiation levels in the earth cause their strange formation.

But formal examinations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

The guide's excursions allow guests to participate in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the forest where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO images, he hands the visitor an ghost-hunting device which registers electromagnetic fields.

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

The plants suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a complete ring. The single plant life is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this unusual opening is wild, not the result of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a area which fuels fantasy, where the line is unclear between reality and legend. In rural Romanian communities superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, shapeshifting vampires, who return from burial sites to frighten local communities.

The famous author's well-known fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure located on a cliff edge in the Transylvanian Alps – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – appears solid and predictable compared to these eerie woods, which give the impression of being, for factors related to radiation, atmospheric or entirely legendary, a hub for fantasy projection.

"Within this forest," the guide says, "the line between truth and fantasy is extremely fine."