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"They call this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a tour guide, his exhalation creating wisps of vapor in the chilly night air. "So many individuals have gone missing here, many believe it's a portal to a parallel world." The guide is leading a visitor on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of ancient native woodland on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Reports of bizarre occurrences here extend back hundreds of years – the forest is called after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the distant past, accompanied by 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a UFO suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But no need to fear," he adds, turning to the visitor with a smirk. "Our tours have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from around the globe, eager to feel the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Although it is one of the world's premier hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of more than 400,000 people, called the tech capital of eastern Europe – are expanding, and developers are campaigning for permission to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Aside from a few hectares containing area-specific Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is not officially protected, but Marius hopes that the organization he helped establish – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the local administrators to recognise the forest's significance as a travel hotspot.

Chilling Events

While branches and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide tells various folk tales and reported ghostly incidents here.

• One famous story describes a five-year-old girl vanishing during a group gathering, later to reappear five years later with no memory of the events, showing no signs of aging a single day, her clothes without the smallest trace of dirt.
• Regular stories explain smartphones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses vary from full-blown dread to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals state noticing strange rashes on their bodies, hearing unseen murmurs through the woodland, or experience hands grabbing them, despite being convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

Despite several of the accounts may be impossible to confirm, there is much before my eyes that is certainly unusual. All around are trees whose bases are warped and gnarled into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been suggested to explain the abnormal growth: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the ground cause their crooked growth.

But formal examinations have discovered insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

Marius's walks permit guests to take part in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the trees where Barnea photographed his famous UFO images, he hands his guest an EMF meter which registers EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most active area of the forest," he comments. "Discover what's here."

The plants immediately cease as the group enters into a perfect circle. The single plant life is the short grass beneath our feet; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and appears that this strange clearing is wild, not the result of people.

Fact Versus Fiction

This part of Romania is a area which stirs the imagination, where the division is blurred between truth and myth. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, shapeshifting creatures, who emerge from tombs to frighten local communities.

Bram Stoker's well-known character Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a medieval building perched on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – feels tangible and comprehensible in contrast to these eerie woods, which appear to be, for causes related to radiation, atmospheric or simply folkloric, a nexus for fantasy projection.

"Within this forest," the guide states, "the line between fact and fiction is remarkably blurred."