Venturing into this Globe's Spookiest Grove: Contorted Trees, Flying Saucers and Chilling Accounts in Transylvania.

"People refer to this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," explains an experienced guide, his exhalation creating wisps of condensation in the crisp evening air. "Countless people have gone missing here, many believe it's a portal to another dimension." This expert is guiding a guest on a night walk through commonly known as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient local woods on the edges of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Centuries of Mystery

Reports of bizarre occurrences here date back hundreds of years – this woodland is named after a area shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, along with 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu achieved worldwide fame in 1968, when a defense worker called Emil Barnea captured on film what he reported as a unidentified flying object floating above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he continues, addressing his guest with a grin. "Our tours have a 100% return rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, extraterrestrial investigators and ghost hunters from worldwide, eager to feel the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Current Risks

Despite being among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the tech capital of the region – are advancing, and developers are advocating for approval to remove the forest to build apartment blocks.

Barring a few hectares housing area-specific oak varieties, the grove is lacking legal protection, but Marius believes that the company he was instrumental in creating – a local conservation effort – will assist in altering this, motivating the government officials to appreciate the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Spooky Experiences

While branches and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their boots, the guide tells some of the local legends and alleged supernatural events here.

• A popular tale recounts a five-year-old girl going missing during a group gathering, then to reappear after five years with no memory of her experience, showing no signs of aging a day, her attire without the slightest speck of dust.
• Regular stories describe cellphones and camera equipment mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses range from absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Various visitors state noticing unusual marks on their arms, hearing ghostly voices through the woodland, or feel palms pushing them, even when certain nobody is nearby.

Study Attempts

Although numerous of the tales may be impossible to confirm, numerous elements clearly observable that is definitely bizarre. Throughout the area are trees whose stems are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Different theories have been suggested to explain the deformed trees: that hurricane winds could have altered the growth, or naturally high radiation levels in the ground explain their crooked growth.

But research studies have discovered insufficient proof.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's tours permit guests to participate in a modest investigation of their own. When nearing the opening in the trees where Barnea captured his famous UFO photographs, he hands the traveler an ghost-hunting device which measures electromagnetic fields.

"We're stepping into the most energetic part of the forest," he says. "Try to detect something."

The vegetation abruptly end as they step into a complete ring. The only greenery is the short grass beneath their shoes; it's clear that it's not maintained, and seems that this unusual opening is natural, not the work of landscaping.

Fact Versus Fiction

The broader region is a location which inspires creativity, where the line is indistinct between truth and myth. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, appearance-altering creatures, who emerge from tombs to terrorise local communities.

The famous author's famous character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a Saxon monolith perched on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite myth-shrouded Transylvania – truly, "the land past the woods" – seems tangible and comprehensible in contrast to the haunted grove, which seem to be, for reasons radioactive, climatic or entirely legendary, a hub for creative energy.

"Within this forest," Marius states, "the division between fact and fiction is remarkably blurred."