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"They call this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," explains a local guide, his breath producing clouds of vapor in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "So many individuals have gone missing here, some say there's a gateway to a parallel world." The guide is guiding a guest on a evening stroll through what is often described as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of primeval indigenous forest on the fringes of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here go back hundreds of years – the grove is called after a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the distant past, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea took a picture of what he reported as a UFO suspended above a oval meadow in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But no need to fear," he continues, addressing the visitor with a grin. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has attracted meditation experts, shamans, ufologists and supernatural researchers from across the world, interested in encountering the mysterious powers reported to reverberate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be a top global pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, called the innovation center of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and developers are pushing for approval to cut down the woods to build apartment blocks.

Barring a limited section housing area-specific specific tree species, the grove is not officially protected, but Marius believes that the organization he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, motivating the local administrators to appreciate the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

As twigs and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their footwear, Marius tells numerous traditional stories and alleged paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story describes a young child disappearing during a family outing, only to reappear half a decade later with complete amnesia of her experience, showing no signs of aging a single day, her attire shy of the slightest speck of dirt.
• Regular stories describe mobile phones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses range from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Some people state seeing bizarre skin irritations on their bodies, detecting unseen murmurs through the forest, or feel hands grabbing them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the tales may be hard to prove, there is much visibly present that is certainly unusual. All around are vegetation whose bases are bent and twisted into fantastical shapes.

Various suggestions have been proposed to clarify the abnormal growth: strong gales could have altered the growth, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the ground cause their unusual development.

But scientific investigations have found insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's excursions permit guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the meadow in the forest where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO pictures, he passes his guest an EMF meter which detects electromagnetic fields.

"We're stepping into the most active part of the forest," he says. "Try to detect something."

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a flawless round. The single plant life is the low vegetation beneath their shoes; it's obvious that it hasn't been mown, and looks that this bizarre meadow is wild, not the result of human hands.

The Blurred Line

Transylvania generally is a location which inspires creativity, where the division is blurred between fact and folklore. In countryside villages superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering vampires, who return from burial sites to haunt nearby villages.

Bram Stoker's well-known vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure located on a stone formation in the Carpathian Mountains – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – feels real and understandable in contrast to the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for reasons radioactive, climatic or simply folkloric, a center for creative energy.

"In Hoia-Baciu," Marius says, "the boundary between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."