Delving into this Globe's Spookiest Grove: Gnarled Trees, UFOs and Chilling Accounts in Transylvania.

"Locals dub this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, his exhalation producing clouds of condensation in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "Countless visitors have vanished here, some say it's a portal to a different realm." This expert is guiding a visitor on a night walk through commonly known as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth native woodland on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of unusual events here extend back a long time – the forest is named after a local shepherd who is said to have vanished in the far-off times, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu came to international attention in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea took a picture of what he reported as a unidentified flying object hovering above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and failed to return. But rest assured," he states, facing the visitor with a grin. "Our guided walks have a flawless completion rate."

In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from worldwide, curious to experience the strange energies said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Despite being one of the world's premier hotspots for paranormal enthusiasts, this woodland is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, called the innovation center of eastern Europe – are expanding, and developers are campaigning for authorization to cut down the woods to construct residential buildings.

Barring a few hectares home to regionally uncommon oak varieties, the grove is not officially protected, but Marius believes that the organization he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will help to change that, encouraging the authorities to recognise the forest's value as a tourist attraction.

Chilling Events

As twigs and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their boots, Marius tells numerous folk tales and reported ghostly incidents here.

• A well-known account tells of a little girl disappearing during a family outing, then to return half a decade later with complete amnesia of what had happened, having not aged a single day, her attire lacking the smallest trace of dirt.
• More common reports explain cellphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on entering the woods.
• Reactions include full-blown dread to states of ecstasy.
• Various visitors state observing unusual marks on their arms, hearing unseen murmurs through the trees, or experience fingers clutching them, even when sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the tales may be hard to prove, there is much before my eyes that is certainly unusual. All around are trees whose bases are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Various suggestions have been proposed to clarify the deformed trees: strong gales could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated radiation levels in the soil explain their unusual development.

But research studies have turned up inconclusive results.

The Famous Clearing

Marius's walks enable guests to participate in a modest investigation of their own. As we approach the meadow in the trees where Barnea captured his famous UFO images, he passes his guest an EMF meter which measures energy patterns.

"We're entering the most powerful area of the forest," he says. "See what you can find."

The plants abruptly end as they step into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath their shoes; it's apparent that it hasn't been mown, and seems that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the work of people.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a location which stirs the imagination, where the division is blurred between truth and myth. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing vampires, who rise from their graves to frighten nearby villages.

The famous author's famous fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a Saxon monolith located on a stone formation in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "the vampire's home".

But including legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the territory after the grove" – appears tangible and comprehensible in contrast to these eerie woods, which give the impression of being, for causes nuclear, atmospheric or simply folkloric, a center for fantasy projection.

"Within this forest," Marius states, "the boundary between reality and imagination is very thin."