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"People refer to this location the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," explains an experienced guide, his breath producing puffs of mist in the cold evening air. "Countless people have gone missing here, many believe it's an entrance to a different realm." This expert is guiding a guest on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth native woodland on the fringes of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of bizarre occurrences here date back a long time – this woodland is named after a area shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, together with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a UFO suspended above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he adds, addressing his guest with a smirk. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from around the globe, interested in encountering the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Although it is one of the world's premier destinations for supernatural fans, this woodland is at risk. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of more than 400,000 people, described as the innovation center of the region – are expanding, and developers are advocating for authorization to remove the forest to erect housing complexes.

Except for a few hectares housing regionally uncommon oak varieties, the forest is lacking legal protection, but Marius hopes that the company he co-founded – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, persuading the local administrators to appreciate the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Eerie Encounters

While branches and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide tells some of the local legends and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story recounts a five-year-old girl vanishing during a family outing, later to return half a decade later with no recollection of the events, without aging a moment, her garments lacking the slightest speck of dirt.
• Regular stories detail mobile phones and camera equipment mysteriously turning off on entering the woods.
• Emotional responses vary from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors state noticing unusual marks on their bodies, hearing disembodied whispers through the woodland, or feel hands grabbing them, despite being sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

Despite several of the stories may be impossible to confirm, there are many things before my eyes that is certainly unusual. All around are plants whose stems are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been given to account for the deformed trees: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the ground cause their crooked growth.

But formal examinations have found inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's excursions enable participants to take part in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the trees where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO pictures, he gives his guest an EMF meter which registers electromagnetic fields.

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

The plants suddenly stop dead as we emerge into a flawless round. The single plant life is the short grass beneath the ground; it's clear that it's not maintained, and looks that this strange clearing is natural, not the creation of human hands.

The Blurred Line

The broader region is a place which inspires creativity, where the border is indistinct between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting vampires, who emerge from tombs to terrorise local communities.

The famous author's well-known fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure perched on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – feels real and understandable versus the haunted grove, which appear to be, for reasons related to radiation, environmental or entirely legendary, a nexus for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," Marius comments, "the division between fact and fiction is very thin."