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"They call this location an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, the air from his lungs forming wisps of mist in the cold evening air. "Countless people have gone missing here, some say it's an entrance to another dimension." Marius is leading a visitor on a evening stroll through commonly known as the planet's most ghostly forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval native woodland on the outskirts of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of unusual events here go back a long time – the forest is called after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, together with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a unidentified flying object hovering above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But rest assured," he states, turning to his guest with a grin. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, UFO researchers and paranormal investigators from around the globe, interested in encountering the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Despite being a top global hotspots for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of more than 400,000 people, known as the tech capital of the region – are encroaching, and construction companies are pushing for permission to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Except for a few hectares containing area-specific Mediterranean oak trees, the grove is without conservation status, but the guide believes that the organization he co-founded – a local conservation effort – will assist in altering this, persuading the local administrators to recognise the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Eerie Encounters

While branches and seasonal debris break and crackle beneath their shoes, the guide recounts various folk tales and alleged supernatural events here.

• A well-known account recounts a little girl going missing during a family outing, only to return after five years with no memory of what had happened, having not aged a day, her garments without the tiniest bit of soil.
• Regular stories detail mobile phones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on entering the woods.
• Feelings include complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Some people claim seeing strange rashes on their skin, detecting ghostly voices through the forest, or experience palms pushing them, although convinced they're by themselves.

Research Efforts

While many of the tales may be unverifiable, there is much clearly observable that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are trees whose bases are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been given to account for the deformed trees: powerful storms could have shaped the young trees, or typically increased radiation levels in the soil explain their crooked growth.

But research studies have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

The expert's tours permit guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the woods where Barnea captured his famous UFO pictures, he hands the visitor an electromagnetic field detector which detects energy patterns.

"We're venturing into the most active part of the forest," he comments. "Discover what's here."

The vegetation immediately cease as they step into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it's not maintained, and looks that this strange clearing is wild, not the creation of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a place which inspires creativity, where the border is blurred between truth and myth. In rural Romanian communities faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, appearance-altering creatures, who emerge from tombs to terrorise nearby villages.

The novelist's renowned vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure perched on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But even myth-shrouded Transylvania – literally, "the land past the woods" – feels real and understandable versus the haunted grove, which appear to be, for reasons nuclear, environmental or simply folkloric, a nexus for human imaginative power.

"Within this forest," the guide says, "the line between fact and fiction is remarkably blurred."