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"People refer to this location the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," explains a local guide, his breath creating clouds of condensation in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "Numerous visitors have disappeared here, some say it's an entrance to a parallel world." This expert is escorting a traveler on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of old-growth native woodland on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of unusual events here go back centuries – this woodland is titled for a regional herder who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, together with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu came to global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a flying saucer floating above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But no need to fear," he continues, turning to the visitor with a grin. "Our guided walks have a flawless completion rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from across the world, interested in encountering the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be among the planet's leading hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, the grove is under threat. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of over 400,000 residents, known as the tech capital of Eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are pushing for permission to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a small area home to locally rare specific tree species, the grove is lacking legal protection, but the guide is confident that the company he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, encouraging the authorities to appreciate the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

While branches and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their boots, the guide tells various local legends and alleged paranormal happenings here.

• A popular tale describes a little girl going missing during a family picnic, only to rematerialise half a decade later with complete amnesia of what had happened, having not aged a moment, her clothes shy of the slightest speck of soil.
• Regular stories describe smartphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses include absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Some people report observing unusual marks on their bodies, detecting unseen murmurs through the woodland, or sense fingers clutching them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

While many of the tales may be impossible to confirm, numerous elements before my eyes that is certainly unusual. All around are trees whose trunks are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been given to explain the abnormal growth: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or typically increased radioactivity in the soil account for their unusual development.

But formal examinations have turned up insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's tours allow participants to participate in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the woods where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO photographs, he hands his guest an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

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

The plants suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath our feet; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this strange clearing is wild, not the work of landscaping.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a location which fuels fantasy, where the line is indistinct between reality and legend. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, appearance-altering vampires, who rise from their graves to frighten regional populations.

The famous author's renowned vampire Count Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building situated on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – seems tangible and comprehensible versus this spooky forest, which appear to be, for factors nuclear, climatic or simply folkloric, a center for creative energy.

"Inside these woods," the guide comments, "the line between reality and imagination is very thin."