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"Locals dub this location an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains a tour guide, the air from his lungs forming clouds of mist in the chilly evening air. "Countless people have gone missing here, some say there's a gateway to a different realm." This expert is escorting a traveler on a nocturnal tour through what is often described as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of primeval indigenous forest on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of bizarre occurrences here date back a long time – the forest is named after a local shepherd who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved global recognition in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea took a picture of what he described as a unidentified flying object suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But no need to fear," he states, turning to his guest with a grin. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, shamans, ufologists and paranormal investigators from across the world, interested in encountering the strange energies reported to reverberate through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being one of the world's premier hotspots for supernatural fans, this woodland is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of a population exceeding 400,000, described as the innovation center of the region – are advancing, and real estate firms are pushing for permission to clear the trees to construct residential buildings.

Except for a limited section housing locally rare oak varieties, the forest is without conservation status, but the guide believes that the initiative he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, motivating the local administrators to appreciate the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

When small sticks and seasonal debris snap and crunch beneath their shoes, the guide describes various folk tales and claimed paranormal happenings here.

• A well-known account describes a little girl disappearing during a family picnic, only to reappear after five years with no recollection of the events, without aging a moment, her attire without the tiniest bit of dust.
• Regular stories detail mobile phones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions range from absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Various visitors report seeing bizarre skin irritations on their arms, detecting disembodied whispers through the woodland, or experience fingers clutching them, although convinced they're by themselves.

Study Attempts

While many of the accounts may be hard to prove, there is much before my eyes that is undeniably strange. All around are trees whose bases are warped and gnarled into unusual forms.

Various suggestions have been proposed to clarify the deformed trees: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or naturally high radiation levels in the soil cause their unusual development.

But research studies have turned up inconclusive results.

The Famous Clearing

The guide's tours allow visitors to take part in a modest investigation of their own. When nearing the meadow in the woods where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO photographs, he passes his guest an ghost-hunting device which registers energy patterns.

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

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as they step into a complete ring. The single plant life is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's clear that it hasn't been mown, and seems that this unusual opening is organic, not the result of people.

The Blurred Line

This part of Romania is a location which stirs the imagination, where the line is unclear between truth and myth. In traditional settlements belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering vampires, who rise from their graves to frighten nearby villages.

The famous author's well-known character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure situated on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – seems solid and predictable versus the haunted grove, which appear to be, for causes radioactive, atmospheric or purely mythical, a nexus for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," the guide states, "the division between reality and imagination is extremely fine."