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"They call this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," explains a local guide, his breath creating wisps of mist in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "So many people have vanished here, it's thought it's an entrance to a parallel world." Marius is guiding a guest on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth local woods on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here go back a long time – the forest is titled for a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, accompanied by 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a military technician called Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a unidentified flying object floating above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and vanished without trace. But no need to fear," he adds, turning to the visitor with a smirk. "Our excursions have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in meditation experts, spiritual healers, extraterrestrial investigators and paranormal investigators from around the globe, eager to feel the unusual forces said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being among the planet's leading destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the innovation center of eastern Europe – are advancing, and developers are campaigning for authorization to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Aside from a small area containing area-specific specific tree species, the grove is without conservation status, but the guide is confident that the initiative he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, motivating the government officials to recognise the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Eerie Encounters

When small sticks and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their boots, Marius tells numerous traditional stories and alleged supernatural events here.

• One famous story describes a five-year-old girl going missing during a family outing, then to return half a decade later with no recollection of her experience, showing no signs of aging a single day, her clothes without the slightest speck of dirt.
• Regular stories detail cellphones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses range from complete terror to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors claim seeing unusual marks on their skin, perceiving ghostly voices through the forest, or sense fingers clutching them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Research Efforts

Although numerous of the stories may be impossible to confirm, there is much before my eyes that is definitely bizarre. All around are vegetation whose trunks are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

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

But scientific investigations have found inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's tours allow participants to take part in a little scientific inquiry of their own. As we approach the meadow in the forest where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO pictures, he gives the visitor an electromagnetic field detector which registers electromagnetic fields.

"We're stepping into the most powerful part of the forest," he says. "Discover what's here."

The vegetation abruptly end as we emerge into a complete ring. The single plant life is the trimmed turf beneath our feet; it's obvious that it hasn't been mown, and looks that this strange clearing is organic, not the creation of landscaping.

Between Reality and Imagination

This part of Romania is a area which inspires creativity, where the line is blurred between fact and folklore. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing vampires, who emerge from tombs to terrorise local communities.

The famous author's renowned fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a medieval building situated on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – literally, "the place beyond the forest" – seems real and understandable in contrast to this spooky forest, which seem to be, for reasons nuclear, atmospheric or purely mythical, a nexus for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," Marius comments, "the boundary between reality and imagination is very thin."