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"They call this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," states a local guide, the air from his lungs creating clouds of vapor in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Numerous visitors have vanished here, some say it's a portal to a different realm." This expert is escorting a guest on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the globe's spookiest grove: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient local woods on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Stories of strange happenings here date back centuries – this woodland is named after a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when an army specialist known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a flying saucer hovering above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But no need to fear," he adds, turning to the traveler with a smile. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has attracted meditation experts, shamans, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from worldwide, curious to experience the strange energies reported to reverberate through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be one of the world's premier pilgrimage sites for supernatural fans, the grove is under threat. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the innovation center of Eastern Europe – are advancing, and real estate firms are advocating for permission to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Barring a limited section housing locally rare specific tree species, this woodland is not officially protected, but the guide hopes that the initiative he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, motivating the government officials to appreciate the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

When small sticks and fall foliage snap and crunch beneath their footwear, the guide tells some of the folk tales and reported supernatural events here.

• A popular tale recounts a young child disappearing during a family picnic, then to rematerialise half a decade later with no recollection of the events, having not aged a single day, her attire lacking the smallest trace of soil.
• Frequent accounts describe mobile phones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on venturing inside.
• Feelings range from full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Some people state seeing bizarre skin irritations on their arms, detecting disembodied whispers through the forest, or experience fingers clutching them, although sure they are alone.

Study Attempts

Despite several of the accounts may be unverifiable, there are many things clearly observable that is undeniably strange. Throughout the area are vegetation whose stems are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been given to explain the misshapen plants: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the earth explain their unusual development.

But formal examinations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Legendary Opening

The guide's tours enable participants to engage in a little scientific inquiry of their own. When nearing the opening in the woods where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO pictures, he hands his guest an EMF meter which measures energy patterns.

"We're stepping into the most powerful area of the forest," he comments. "Discover what's here."

The trees abruptly end as we emerge into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath the ground; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and looks that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the creation of people.

Fact Versus Fiction

The broader region is a place which stirs the imagination, where the division is indistinct between truth and myth. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, appearance-altering vampires, who rise from their graves to terrorise local communities.

The famous author's famous vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure located on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But even legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – seems solid and predictable in contrast to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for factors radioactive, climatic or purely mythical, a center for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," Marius says, "the line between reality and imagination is extremely fine."