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"Locals dub this spot an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, his breath producing clouds of condensation in the cold dusk atmosphere. "Numerous individuals have vanished here, some say it's an entrance to a parallel world." This expert is leading a guest on a night walk through what is often described as the globe's spookiest forest: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of old-growth local woods on the fringes of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of bizarre occurrences here date back hundreds of years – the forest is called after a regional herder who is believed to have disappeared in the distant past, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker named Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a flying saucer hovering above a round opening in the centre of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he adds, addressing the visitor with a grin. "Our guided walks have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has attracted yoga practitioners, traditional medicine people, ufologists and paranormal investigators from worldwide, curious to experience the strange energies believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

It may be among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for lovers of the paranormal, this woodland is facing danger. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of more than 400,000 people, described as the innovation center of the region – are encroaching, and construction companies are campaigning for approval to clear the trees to build apartment blocks.

Barring a few hectares housing regionally uncommon oak varieties, the grove is not officially protected, but the guide hopes that the company he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will assist in altering this, persuading the local administrators to acknowledge the forest's importance as a travel hotspot.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their shoes, the guide recounts numerous traditional stories and alleged supernatural events here.

• A popular tale recounts a young child going missing during a group gathering, then to reappear after five years with no recollection of her experience, without aging a moment, her garments shy of the smallest trace of dust.
• More common reports explain mobile phones and photography gear unexpectedly failing on entering the woods.
• Reactions range from full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Some people state observing strange rashes on their bodies, perceiving disembodied whispers through the woodland, or experience palms pushing them, even when convinced they're by themselves.

Scientific Investigations

While many of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there are many things clearly observable that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are vegetation whose stems are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Various suggestions have been given to clarify the deformed trees: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or naturally high radioactivity in the soil account for their crooked growth.

But research studies have turned up inconclusive results.

The Legendary Opening

Marius's excursions allow guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the forest where Barnea took his well-known UFO photographs, he passes his guest an EMF meter which detects energy patterns.

"We're stepping into the most active section of the forest," he says. "Discover what's here."

The vegetation abruptly end as we emerge into a flawless round. The sole vegetation is the short grass beneath our feet; it's obvious that it hasn't been mown, and appears that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the result of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a area which fuels fantasy, where the border is indistinct between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting vampires, who emerge from tombs to haunt regional populations.

The famous author's famous character Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a Saxon monolith situated on a stone formation in the Transylvanian Alps – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But even folklore-rich Transylvania – truly, "the land past the woods" – feels solid and predictable versus this spooky forest, which seem to be, for reasons nuclear, climatic or purely mythical, a nexus for creative energy.

"In Hoia-Baciu," Marius says, "the line between reality and imagination is extremely fine."