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"They call this location a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states a tour guide, the air from his lungs forming wisps of condensation in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Numerous people have disappeared here, it's thought there's a gateway to another dimension." This expert is leading a visitor on a evening stroll through what is often described as the globe's spookiest forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval local woods on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of strange happenings here extend back hundreds of years – this woodland is named after a area shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved global recognition in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a unidentified flying object hovering above a circular clearing in the centre of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he adds, addressing the visitor with a smile. "Our tours have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn meditation experts, shamans, extraterrestrial investigators and ghost hunters from around the globe, interested in encountering the strange energies believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Despite being one of the world's premier destinations for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, described as the Silicon Valley of the region – are advancing, and developers are campaigning for authorization to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Except for a few hectares containing area-specific specific tree species, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but the guide hopes that the initiative he helped establish – a local conservation effort – will assist in altering this, encouraging the authorities to acknowledge the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Eerie Encounters

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

• One famous story tells of a little girl disappearing during a group gathering, later to rematerialise after five years with no memory of her experience, without aging a moment, her garments lacking the tiniest bit of soil.
• Regular stories explain smartphones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on entering the woods.
• Reactions include absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors state observing strange rashes on their arms, perceiving disembodied whispers through the forest, or experience fingers clutching them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Research Efforts

While many of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there are many things before my eyes that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are plants whose trunks are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been suggested to explain the deformed trees: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the soil explain their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's tours enable guests to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. As we approach the opening in the woods where Barnea captured his well-known UFO pictures, he hands the traveler an ghost-hunting device which measures energy patterns.

"We're stepping into the most energetic part of the forest," he says. "Discover what's here."

The trees abruptly end as the group enters into a complete ring. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this strange clearing is wild, not the creation of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a area which fuels fantasy, where the line is unclear between reality and legend. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, appearance-altering creatures, who emerge from tombs to terrorise regional populations.

The novelist's famous vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure perched on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But despite folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – appears solid and predictable versus these eerie woods, which give the impression of being, for causes radioactive, climatic or entirely legendary, a nexus for creative energy.

"Inside these woods," Marius comments, "the division between truth and fantasy is extremely fine."