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"They call this location a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," explains a local guide, his breath producing wisps of condensation in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Numerous individuals have gone missing here, it's thought there's a gateway to a parallel world." Marius is leading a traveler on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here extend back hundreds of years – this woodland is titled for a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the distant past, along with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu came to international attention in 1968, when a defense worker called Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a UFO floating above a circular clearing in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and never came out. But rest assured," he adds, facing his guest with a smirk. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, ufologists and ghost hunters from worldwide, interested in encountering the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Despite being among the planet's leading destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is at risk. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the tech capital of Eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are campaigning for approval to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Barring a few hectares home to locally rare oak varieties, the grove is without conservation status, but the guide is confident that the initiative he helped establish – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, persuading the local administrators to acknowledge the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their footwear, Marius tells various traditional stories and claimed ghostly incidents here.

• A popular tale tells of a five-year-old girl vanishing during a family picnic, then to rematerialise half a decade later with no recollection of her experience, without aging a single day, her clothes shy of the smallest trace of soil.
• More common reports explain smartphones and photography gear mysteriously turning off on entering the woods.
• Emotional responses include complete terror to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors state observing bizarre skin irritations on their bodies, detecting unseen murmurs through the forest, or sense fingers clutching them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the accounts may be hard to prove, there are many things clearly observable that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are trees whose trunks are bent and twisted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been given to explain the deformed trees: powerful storms could have shaped the young trees, or inherently elevated radiation levels in the ground cause their crooked growth.

But formal examinations have turned up insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's walks permit participants to participate in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the meadow in the trees where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO photographs, he passes his guest an electromagnetic field detector which registers energy patterns.

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

The vegetation immediately cease as the group enters into a complete ring. The single plant life is the short grass beneath the ground; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and seems that this unusual opening is wild, not the creation of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

This part of Romania is a location which fuels fantasy, where the division is blurred between reality and legend. In countryside villages superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, form-changing creatures, who emerge from tombs to frighten nearby villages.

The famous author's famous fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a Saxon monolith situated on a stone formation in the Carpathian Mountains – is keenly marketed as "the count's residence".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the land past the woods" – feels solid and predictable compared to this spooky forest, which appear to be, for factors related to radiation, environmental or entirely legendary, a hub for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide says, "the division between reality and imagination is extremely fine."