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"Locals dub this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains a tour guide, the air from his lungs producing clouds of condensation in the cold evening air. "Countless individuals have vanished here, many believe it's an entrance to a different realm." Marius is guiding a guest on a nocturnal tour through commonly known as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of ancient local woods on the edges of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Stories of strange happenings here extend back hundreds of years – this woodland is called after a area shepherd who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, together with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a UFO suspended above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But no need to fear," he states, addressing the traveler with a grin. "Our tours have a 100% return rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yogis, shamans, ufologists and supernatural researchers from worldwide, curious to experience the strange energies said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be one of the world's premier hotspots for supernatural fans, the grove is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a modern tech hub of more than 400,000 people, described as the innovation center of eastern Europe – are expanding, and real estate firms are advocating for approval to clear the trees to construct residential buildings.

Except for a limited section home to regionally uncommon oak varieties, the grove is without conservation status, but Marius hopes that the initiative he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, persuading the authorities to appreciate the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Eerie Encounters

When small sticks and seasonal debris break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide tells numerous traditional stories and reported paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story recounts a little girl vanishing during a family picnic, only to return half a decade later with complete amnesia of what had happened, having not aged a day, her clothes without the tiniest bit of soil.
• More common reports detail cellphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses include absolute fear to feelings of joy.
• Some people claim seeing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, hearing unseen murmurs through the forest, or sense hands grabbing them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the tales may be unverifiable, numerous elements before my eyes that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are plants whose stems are warped and gnarled into unusual forms.

Different theories have been suggested to clarify the abnormal growth: powerful storms could have shaped the young trees, or naturally high radioactivity in the soil account for their unusual development.

But scientific investigations have found insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's excursions allow guests to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the forest where Barnea captured his renowned UFO pictures, he passes his guest an EMF meter which registers electromagnetic fields.

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

The trees immediately cease as we emerge into a flawless round. The single plant life is the trimmed turf beneath our feet; it's apparent that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the work of people.

Fact Versus Fiction

Transylvania generally is a place which inspires creativity, where the line is unclear between fact and folklore. In rural Romanian communities belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting bloodsuckers, who return from burial sites to haunt regional populations.

The famous author's well-known character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure perched on a rocky outcrop in the Carpathian Mountains – is keenly marketed as "Dracula's Castle".

But including folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the place beyond the forest" – seems solid and predictable in contrast to the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for reasons radioactive, environmental or purely mythical, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide says, "the division between fact and fiction is extremely fine."