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"They call this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," states a tour guide, his exhalation creating puffs of vapor in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Countless people have gone missing here, it's thought it's an entrance to another dimension." This expert is escorting a visitor on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient local woods on the edges of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Stories of unusual events here go back centuries – this woodland is called after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the distant past, along with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a flying saucer hovering above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But no need to fear," he adds, addressing the traveler with a grin. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, shamans, extraterrestrial investigators and supernatural researchers from across the world, interested in encountering the strange energies said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for lovers of the paranormal, the grove is at risk. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of more than 400,000 people, known as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are expanding, and real estate firms are advocating for approval to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Except for a few hectares home to area-specific oak varieties, the grove is lacking legal protection, but the guide hopes that the company he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, motivating the authorities to recognise the forest's importance as a travel hotspot.

Chilling Events

While branches and seasonal debris snap and crunch beneath their footwear, the guide tells various traditional stories and alleged ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story describes a young child vanishing during a family outing, later to rematerialise half a decade later with complete amnesia of what had happened, without aging a single day, her garments shy of the smallest trace of dirt.
• Regular stories explain mobile phones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Feelings range from full-blown dread to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals report seeing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, hearing disembodied whispers through the woodland, or feel palms pushing them, although sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the accounts may be unverifiable, there are many things before my eyes that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are vegetation whose bases are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been proposed to clarify the abnormal growth: that hurricane winds could have shaped the young trees, or inherently elevated radiation levels in the earth account for their unusual development.

But research studies have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Famous Clearing

Marius's walks permit participants to engage in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the trees where Barnea captured his well-known UFO photographs, he passes his guest an ghost-hunting device which registers EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most energetic section of the forest," he comments. "See what you can find."

The vegetation abruptly end as we emerge into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath our feet; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and looks that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the result of people.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a place which stirs the imagination, where the division is unclear between reality and legend. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting vampires, who emerge from tombs to haunt regional populations.

The novelist's well-known vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure situated on a cliff edge in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – actually, "the territory after the grove" – seems tangible and comprehensible in contrast to this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for factors nuclear, environmental or entirely legendary, a hub for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide states, "the line between reality and imagination is extremely fine."