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"They call this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks a tour guide, the air from his lungs producing wisps of mist in the chilly night air. "Numerous individuals have gone missing here, some say it's an entrance to a different realm." This expert is guiding a guest on a night walk through what is often described as the globe's spookiest grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth local woods on the fringes of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of strange happenings here extend back centuries – the forest is titled for a regional herder who is said to have vanished in the long ago, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition in 1968, when a defense worker called Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a unidentified flying object suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Many came in here and never came out. But don't worry," he adds, addressing the visitor with a grin. "Our guided walks have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from around the globe, interested in encountering the mysterious powers believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

Despite being one of the world's premier hotspots for paranormal enthusiasts, this woodland is at risk. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, described as the tech capital of the region – are advancing, and construction companies are campaigning for permission to clear the trees to construct residential buildings.

Aside from a few hectares home to area-specific oak varieties, this woodland is without conservation status, but Marius believes that the company he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, motivating the local administrators to appreciate the forest's importance as a travel hotspot.

Chilling Events

While branches and seasonal debris break and crackle beneath their footwear, Marius tells some of the local legends and reported supernatural events here.

• One famous story describes a five-year-old girl vanishing during a group gathering, then to return five years later with no memory of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a moment, her garments lacking the slightest speck of dust.
• More common reports describe smartphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses vary from complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Certain individuals report noticing strange rashes on their bodies, perceiving unseen murmurs through the trees, or experience hands grabbing them, although sure they are alone.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the tales may be unverifiable, numerous elements before my eyes that is certainly unusual. Throughout the area are plants whose trunks are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.

Multiple explanations have been given to account for the abnormal growth: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or typically increased electromagnetic fields in the earth account for their strange formation.

But research studies have discovered inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's walks enable visitors to engage in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the meadow in the forest where Barnea took his well-known UFO pictures, he hands the visitor an electromagnetic field detector which detects energy patterns.

"We're venturing into the most energetic part of the forest," he says. "Discover what's here."

The trees abruptly end as we emerge into a complete ring. The only greenery is the short grass beneath the ground; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and appears that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the work of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

Transylvania generally is a place which inspires creativity, where the line is indistinct between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting vampires, who rise from their graves to haunt regional populations.

The novelist's famous vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building perched on a stone formation in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But even legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – appears solid and predictable compared to these eerie woods, which give the impression of being, for causes radioactive, atmospheric or purely mythical, a nexus for creative energy.

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