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"Locals dub this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, his breath creating wisps of condensation in the cold night air. "So many visitors have gone missing here, it's thought it's a portal to a different realm." The guide is escorting a visitor on a night walk through what is often described as the world's most haunted forest: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth local woods on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Accounts of strange happenings here extend back a long time – this woodland is titled for a regional herder who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu came to worldwide fame in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a flying saucer hovering above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

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

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, traditional medicine people, ufologists and ghost hunters from across the world, eager to feel the unusual forces reported to reverberate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Although it is among the planet's leading destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, the forest is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of a population exceeding 400,000, described as the innovation center of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and construction companies are campaigning for approval to remove the forest to erect housing complexes.

Except for a small area home to regionally uncommon oak varieties, the forest is without conservation status, but the guide hopes that the company he helped establish – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will assist in altering this, encouraging the authorities to appreciate the forest's significance as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their shoes, the guide tells some of the folk tales and reported ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story tells of a five-year-old girl vanishing during a family outing, then to rematerialise after five years with no recollection of the events, without aging a day, her attire lacking the tiniest bit of dirt.
• Regular stories describe smartphones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Reactions vary from complete terror to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals state noticing strange rashes on their skin, hearing disembodied whispers through the forest, or sense hands grabbing them, although sure they are alone.

Research Efforts

While many of the accounts may be hard to prove, there are many things before my eyes that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are plants whose stems are warped and gnarled into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been proposed to account for the misshapen plants: strong gales could have altered the growth, or naturally high radiation levels in the earth account for their strange formation.

But scientific investigations have found insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's walks permit participants to engage in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the woods where Barnea took his famous UFO images, he passes the visitor an ghost-hunting device which registers energy patterns.

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

The vegetation suddenly stop dead as they step into a perfect circle. The single plant life is the low vegetation beneath the ground; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and appears that this unusual opening is organic, not the result of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a place which stirs the imagination, where the division is blurred between truth and myth. In countryside villages superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering creatures, who rise from their graves to haunt local communities.

The famous author's renowned vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building perched on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But even myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – seems solid and predictable versus this spooky forest, which give the impression of being, for factors nuclear, climatic or purely mythical, a nexus for fantasy projection.

"Inside these woods," Marius comments, "the line between truth and fantasy is very thin."