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"They call this location a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, the air from his lungs creating clouds of vapor in the crisp evening air. "Numerous visitors have gone missing here, many believe it's an entrance to another dimension." The guide is escorting a visitor on a evening stroll through what is often described as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of ancient local woods on the fringes of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Accounts of unusual events here extend back hundreds of years – the forest is named after a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the distant past, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a military technician called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he described as a flying saucer floating above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But no need to fear," he continues, addressing the visitor with a smile. "Our excursions have a 100% return rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, shamans, extraterrestrial investigators and paranormal investigators from worldwide, curious to experience the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be one of the world's premier hotspots for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is facing danger. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of a population exceeding 400,000, called the innovation center of Eastern Europe – are expanding, and developers are advocating for approval to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Barring a small area home to regionally uncommon specific tree species, the forest is not officially protected, but the guide believes that the company he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, persuading the authorities to acknowledge the forest's value as a travel hotspot.

Chilling Events

When small sticks and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide tells some of the local legends and claimed supernatural events here.

• A popular tale recounts a young child vanishing during a group gathering, later to return half a decade later with complete amnesia of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a single day, her clothes shy of the slightest speck of dirt.
• More common reports describe cellphones and photography gear inexplicably shutting down on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses include absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals state seeing unusual marks on their skin, hearing disembodied whispers through the forest, or sense fingers clutching them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the stories may be impossible to confirm, there are many things visibly present that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are trees whose bases are bent and twisted into fantastical shapes.

Multiple explanations have been proposed to clarify the abnormal growth: strong gales could have altered the growth, or naturally high radiation levels in the soil explain their crooked growth.

But research studies have discovered insufficient proof.

The Famous Clearing

The guide's tours allow guests to engage in a little scientific inquiry of their own. As we approach the meadow in the forest where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO pictures, he passes the traveler an EMF meter which detects electromagnetic fields.

"We're entering the most energetic section of the forest," he says. "Try to detect something."

The plants immediately cease as the group enters into a perfect circle. The single plant life is the trimmed turf beneath their shoes; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and appears that this unusual opening is wild, not the work of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

Transylvania generally is a area which inspires creativity, where the border is indistinct between reality and legend. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, form-changing creatures, who emerge from tombs to frighten local communities.

The famous author's renowned vampire Count Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a Saxon monolith situated on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But even legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the territory after the grove" – seems solid and predictable versus the haunted grove, which seem to be, for causes radioactive, atmospheric or entirely legendary, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," Marius comments, "the line between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."