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"They call this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, the air from his lungs producing clouds of condensation in the cold dusk atmosphere. "So many people have disappeared here, some say there's a gateway to a parallel world." The guide is escorting a guest on a evening stroll through commonly known as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval local woods on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Stories of strange happenings here extend back a long time – this woodland is titled for a local shepherd who is said to have vanished in the long ago, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu came to international attention in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he described as a unidentified flying object hovering above a round opening in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But rest assured," he continues, turning to the traveler with a smile. "Our guided walks have a flawless completion rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has attracted meditation experts, traditional medicine people, extraterrestrial investigators and ghost hunters from across the world, eager to feel the strange energies believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Although it is among the planet's leading destinations for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is at risk. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of more than 400,000 people, called the tech capital of eastern Europe – are expanding, and developers are pushing for approval to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Aside from a small area containing locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but Marius believes that the initiative he was instrumental in creating – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the authorities to recognise the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

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

• A popular tale describes a little girl disappearing during a family picnic, then to rematerialise five years later with no recollection of the events, having not aged a moment, her attire without the smallest trace of dust.
• Frequent accounts describe mobile phones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions include absolute fear to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors report noticing strange rashes on their arms, perceiving unseen murmurs through the trees, or sense hands grabbing them, although convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

Despite several of the tales may be hard to prove, there is much before my eyes that is undeniably strange. All around are vegetation whose stems are bent and twisted into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been proposed to explain the abnormal growth: powerful storms could have shaped the young trees, or inherently elevated radiation levels in the ground cause their unusual development.

But scientific investigations have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's walks allow guests to engage in a modest investigation of their own. As we approach the opening in the trees where Barnea captured his renowned UFO images, he gives his guest an ghost-hunting device which detects energy patterns.

"We're entering the most energetic section of the forest," he comments. "See what you can find."

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as they step into a complete ring. The single plant life is the short grass beneath our feet; it's clear that it's not maintained, and appears that this unusual opening is organic, not the result of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

Transylvania generally is a area which fuels fantasy, where the border is blurred between reality and legend. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, form-changing creatures, who return from burial sites to terrorise regional populations.

The famous author's famous character Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a Saxon monolith perched on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – literally, "the territory after the grove" – feels solid and predictable in contrast to the haunted grove, which seem to be, for factors radioactive, climatic or purely mythical, a nexus for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide states, "the division between reality and imagination is very thin."