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"They call this location an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains an experienced guide, his exhalation forming clouds of condensation in the cold evening air. "Numerous visitors have vanished here, it's thought there's a gateway to a different realm." Marius is guiding a traveler on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of old-growth native woodland on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of bizarre occurrences here date back a long time – the grove is titled for a area shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu came to worldwide fame in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea captured on film what he described as a unidentified flying object hovering above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But rest assured," he adds, addressing his guest with a smile. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has attracted meditation experts, shamans, ufologists and ghost hunters from across the world, interested in encountering the strange energies said to echo through the forest.

Modern Threats

Although it is one of the world's premier hotspots for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is facing danger. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the tech capital of the region – are encroaching, and construction companies are advocating for approval to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Barring a few hectares housing locally rare specific tree species, the grove is not officially protected, but Marius believes that the initiative he was instrumental in creating – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the authorities to appreciate the forest's value as a visitor destination.

Eerie Encounters

While branches and fall foliage snap and crunch beneath their footwear, Marius recounts numerous local legends and reported paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story recounts a little girl disappearing during a family outing, only to return after five years with complete amnesia of her experience, without aging a day, her garments shy of the smallest trace of dust.
• Regular stories detail smartphones and camera equipment mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Feelings include complete terror to states of ecstasy.
• Certain individuals claim observing strange rashes on their bodies, hearing unseen murmurs through the forest, or feel palms pushing them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the stories may be impossible to confirm, there are many things visibly present that is definitely bizarre. All around are trees whose trunks are bent and twisted into bizarre configurations.

Various suggestions have been given to explain the misshapen plants: that hurricane winds could have shaped the young trees, or inherently elevated electromagnetic fields in the ground account for their crooked growth.

But scientific investigations have turned up insufficient proof.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's tours enable guests to engage in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the meadow in the forest where Barnea captured his renowned UFO pictures, he passes the visitor an EMF meter which registers electromagnetic fields.

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

The vegetation abruptly end as the group enters into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and looks that this bizarre meadow is organic, not the creation of landscaping.

The Blurred Line

The broader region is a area which stirs the imagination, where the border is unclear between reality and legend. In countryside villages faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting vampires, who rise from their graves to frighten regional populations.

The novelist's renowned character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure located on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is heavily promoted as "the count's residence".

But including folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – feels tangible and comprehensible compared to these eerie woods, which appear to be, for causes nuclear, environmental or purely mythical, a nexus for fantasy projection.

"Inside these woods," the guide says, "the boundary between truth and fantasy is remarkably blurred."