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"They call this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, his exhalation producing puffs of vapor in the chilly evening air. "So many people have disappeared here, many believe there's a gateway to a different realm." This expert is leading a traveler on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of primeval indigenous forest on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Stories of unusual events here date back a long time – this woodland is titled for a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the far-off times, along with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he described as a flying saucer floating above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But no need to fear," he continues, facing his guest with a grin. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, spiritual healers, ufologists and ghost hunters from around the globe, curious to experience the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be a top global destinations for supernatural fans, this woodland is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of more than 400,000 people, called the tech capital of eastern Europe – are advancing, and developers are pushing for approval to remove the forest to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a small area housing area-specific oak varieties, this woodland is without conservation status, but the guide believes that the organization he was instrumental in creating – a local conservation effort – will assist in altering this, persuading the government officials to recognise the forest's significance as a travel hotspot.

Chilling Events

As twigs and autumn leaves split and rustle beneath their boots, the guide describes some of the local legends and claimed ghostly incidents here.

• A well-known account recounts a five-year-old girl disappearing during a family outing, later to reappear after five years with no recollection of the events, having not aged a single day, her clothes shy of the slightest speck of dirt.
• More common reports describe mobile phones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Reactions vary from complete terror to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals report noticing strange rashes on their arms, hearing disembodied whispers through the trees, or sense palms pushing them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the stories may be unverifiable, numerous elements visibly present that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are trees whose bases are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Multiple explanations have been proposed to account for the abnormal growth: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or naturally high radiation levels in the earth cause their strange formation.

But research studies have found inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's walks enable guests to take part in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the opening in the trees where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO images, he passes his guest an electromagnetic field detector which detects EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most powerful area of the forest," he says. "Try to detect something."

The plants immediately cease as we emerge into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's clear that it's not maintained, and appears that this bizarre meadow is wild, not the work of human hands.

The Blurred Line

Transylvania generally is a location which inspires creativity, where the division is blurred between fact and folklore. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, shapeshifting creatures, who emerge from tombs to haunt local communities.

Bram Stoker's famous vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building situated on a cliff edge in the Transylvanian Alps – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But including folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – feels tangible and comprehensible in contrast to the haunted grove, which seem to be, for reasons related to radiation, atmospheric or purely mythical, a hub for fantasy projection.

"Inside these woods," the guide comments, "the boundary between fact and fiction is extremely fine."