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"People refer to this location the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," remarks a local guide, his exhalation forming wisps of vapor in the cold evening air. "Countless visitors have gone missing here, it's thought there's a gateway to a different realm." Marius is guiding a visitor on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth native woodland on the outskirts of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of unusual events here date back a long time – the grove is titled for a local shepherd who is said to have vanished in the distant past, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained worldwide fame in 1968, when an army specialist known as Emil Barnea photographed what he reported as a flying saucer suspended above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he states, facing the traveler with a smile. "Our tours have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, shamans, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from across the world, interested in encountering the strange energies believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

It may be one of the world's premier pilgrimage sites for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, called the innovation center of Eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are pushing for approval to cut down the woods to construct residential buildings.

Barring a limited section home to regionally uncommon oak varieties, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but Marius hopes that the initiative he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, persuading the government officials to appreciate the forest's significance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and seasonal debris break and crackle beneath their shoes, the guide describes various traditional stories and alleged supernatural events here.

• A well-known account recounts a young child disappearing during a group gathering, only to return after five years with no recollection of what had happened, having not aged a single day, her garments shy of the slightest speck of dust.
• More common reports detail mobile phones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Reactions vary from absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Certain individuals claim observing unusual marks on their bodies, perceiving ghostly voices through the woodland, or sense palms pushing them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

While many of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there are many things clearly observable that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are vegetation whose stems are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Various suggestions have been suggested to clarify the abnormal growth: strong gales could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the ground explain their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have discovered no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's tours allow guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the opening in the trees where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO photographs, he passes the traveler an electromagnetic field detector which registers energy patterns.

"We're entering the most energetic section of the forest," he states. "Discover what's here."

The vegetation abruptly end as they step into a perfect circle. The single plant life is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's clear that it's not maintained, and appears that this strange clearing is organic, not the work of landscaping.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a place which fuels fantasy, where the border is blurred between reality and legend. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing creatures, who emerge from tombs to haunt local communities.

The famous author's renowned character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a Saxon monolith perched on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home".

But even folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – seems real and understandable versus the haunted grove, which seem to be, for reasons nuclear, environmental or entirely legendary, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," Marius says, "the division between reality and imagination is very thin."