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"They call this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," explains a local guide, the air from his lungs forming puffs of condensation in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Countless people have disappeared here, many believe there's a gateway to a different realm." This expert is escorting a guest on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient local woods on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Accounts of bizarre occurrences here go back a long time – this woodland is called after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the long ago, along with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a military technician called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he claimed was a UFO hovering above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But don't worry," he states, addressing the visitor with a grin. "Our guided walks have a perfect safety record."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in meditation experts, shamans, extraterrestrial investigators and ghost hunters from worldwide, curious to experience the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.

Current Risks

Although it is a top global destinations for supernatural fans, this woodland is under threat. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of over 400,000 residents, described as the tech capital of the region – are advancing, and real estate firms are pushing for authorization to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Aside from a few hectares housing area-specific specific tree species, the forest is without conservation status, but Marius believes that the company he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, motivating the local administrators to recognise the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their shoes, the guide describes some of the traditional stories and alleged paranormal happenings here.

• A popular tale describes a five-year-old girl vanishing during a family outing, later to return after five years with no recollection of her experience, having not aged a day, her garments shy of the smallest trace of dirt.
• Frequent accounts describe mobile phones and camera equipment inexplicably shutting down on entering the woods.
• Reactions range from full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors report observing strange rashes on their bodies, detecting ghostly voices through the woodland, or sense hands grabbing them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Research Efforts

Although numerous of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there are many things visibly present that is undeniably strange. All around are plants whose bases are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Multiple explanations have been given to explain the deformed trees: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or typically increased radiation levels in the ground explain their unusual development.

But formal examinations have found no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's excursions enable visitors to engage in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the woods where Barnea photographed his well-known UFO pictures, he hands the traveler an EMF meter which measures EMF readings.

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

The trees suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a complete ring. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and seems that this strange clearing is organic, not the creation of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a area which stirs the imagination, where the border is indistinct between reality and legend. In traditional settlements belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, appearance-altering vampires, who return from burial sites to frighten nearby villages.

Bram Stoker's renowned vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building located on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "Dracula's Castle".

But even myth-shrouded Transylvania – literally, "the place beyond the forest" – feels solid and predictable in contrast to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for causes nuclear, environmental or simply folkloric, a center for creative energy.

"Inside these woods," Marius states, "the line between truth and fantasy is remarkably blurred."