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"They call this spot a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, his exhalation forming clouds of condensation in the cold night air. "Numerous people have disappeared here, some say it's a portal to a different realm." The guide is guiding a visitor on a night walk through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient indigenous forest on the fringes of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Stories of unusual events here go back centuries – this woodland is titled for a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when an army specialist known as Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a unidentified flying object suspended above a circular clearing in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he adds, addressing the traveler with a grin. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, spiritual healers, extraterrestrial investigators and paranormal investigators from worldwide, eager to feel the strange energies reported to reverberate through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be one of the world's premier destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, this woodland is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of over 400,000 residents, called the innovation center of eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are campaigning for permission to cut down the woods to build apartment blocks.

Aside from a limited section containing locally rare Mediterranean oak trees, the grove is lacking legal protection, but Marius believes that the company he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, encouraging the authorities to recognise the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and seasonal debris split and rustle beneath their boots, the guide recounts some of the traditional stories and claimed supernatural events here.

• A popular tale tells of a young child disappearing during a family picnic, then to rematerialise five years later with no memory of the events, without aging a moment, her attire lacking the smallest trace of soil.
• Frequent accounts detail smartphones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions range from full-blown dread to moments of euphoria.
• Some people claim seeing strange rashes on their skin, hearing ghostly voices through the woodland, or feel hands grabbing them, although convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the accounts may be impossible to confirm, numerous elements before my eyes that is certainly unusual. Everywhere you look are vegetation whose stems are bent and twisted into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been proposed to clarify the misshapen plants: strong gales could have shaped the young trees, or naturally high radioactivity in the soil explain their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have found inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's excursions permit visitors to participate in a small-scale research of their own. When nearing the meadow in the trees where Barnea took his renowned UFO photographs, he passes his guest an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

"We're entering the most energetic area of the forest," he comments. "See what you can find."

The plants immediately cease as we emerge into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath their shoes; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and appears that this strange clearing is natural, not the result of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a area which inspires creativity, where the border is unclear between truth and myth. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, form-changing vampires, who emerge from tombs to terrorise nearby villages.

The novelist's well-known character Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – an ancient structure perched on a stone formation in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – seems real and understandable compared to this spooky forest, which appear to be, for reasons related to radiation, environmental or purely mythical, a hub for human imaginative power.

"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide says, "the line between fact and fiction is extremely fine."