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"People refer to this spot the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," explains a local guide, his breath creating wisps of condensation in the crisp night air. "Numerous people have disappeared here, it's thought it's an entrance to another dimension." The guide is leading a guest on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval indigenous forest on the fringes of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of bizarre occurrences here extend back centuries – the grove is named after a regional herder who is reportedly went missing in the distant past, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu came to global recognition in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea took a picture of what he claimed was a unidentified flying object hovering above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he continues, turning to the traveler with a smirk. "Our excursions have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, traditional medicine people, UFO researchers and paranormal investigators from worldwide, interested in encountering the unusual forces reported to reverberate through the forest.

Current Risks

Despite being among the planet's leading hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the tech capital of Eastern Europe – are advancing, and construction companies are advocating for authorization to clear the trees to erect housing complexes.

Barring a small area containing regionally uncommon oak varieties, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but the guide is confident that the company he helped establish – a local conservation effort – will help to change that, persuading the authorities to acknowledge the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their boots, the guide recounts some of the traditional stories and claimed supernatural events here.

• A popular tale describes a five-year-old girl disappearing during a family picnic, then to reappear after five years with no recollection of her experience, showing no signs of aging a day, her clothes shy of the slightest speck of soil.
• More common reports describe smartphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Feelings include absolute fear to states of ecstasy.
• Some people state observing bizarre skin irritations on their arms, perceiving disembodied whispers through the trees, or feel palms pushing them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

While many of the accounts may be unverifiable, there is much clearly observable that is certainly unusual. All around are trees whose stems are bent and twisted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been suggested to clarify the deformed trees: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the soil explain their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have discovered inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's walks permit visitors to engage in a small-scale research of their own. When nearing the meadow in the trees where Barnea captured his renowned UFO images, he hands the visitor an ghost-hunting device which registers electromagnetic fields.

"We're venturing into the most active section of the forest," he comments. "Try to detect something."

The vegetation immediately cease as they step into a flawless round. The only greenery is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's obvious that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this unusual opening is natural, not the creation of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

The broader region is a place which stirs the imagination, where the line is unclear between fact and folklore. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing creatures, who emerge from tombs to terrorise local communities.

Bram Stoker's renowned vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a Saxon monolith located on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But even folklore-rich Transylvania – literally, "the land past the woods" – feels solid and predictable compared to the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for reasons nuclear, environmental or simply folkloric, a center for creative energy.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide states, "the boundary between reality and imagination is extremely fine."