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"They call this place a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," explains a tour guide, his exhalation creating wisps of condensation in the chilly evening air. "Countless people have gone missing here, some say it's an entrance to a parallel world." Marius is escorting a guest on a nocturnal tour through commonly known as the globe's spookiest forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the edges of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Stories of bizarre occurrences here extend back hundreds of years – this woodland is called after a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, along with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a military technician known as Emil Barnea photographed what he described as a flying saucer floating above a round opening in the middle of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he adds, facing his guest with a smile. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, extraterrestrial investigators and ghost hunters from worldwide, interested in encountering the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.

Current Risks

Despite being a top global destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, this woodland is at risk. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of over 400,000 residents, called the innovation center of the region – are expanding, and construction companies are advocating for authorization to remove the forest to construct residential buildings.

Except for a limited section housing regionally uncommon specific tree species, the forest is without conservation status, but the guide hopes that the organization he helped establish – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, encouraging the authorities to recognise the forest's significance as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

When small sticks and seasonal debris split and rustle beneath their footwear, the guide recounts numerous folk tales and claimed supernatural events here.

• One famous story describes a young child disappearing during a group gathering, then to reappear half a decade later with no recollection of the events, showing no signs of aging a single day, her attire shy of the tiniest bit of dust.
• Regular stories detail cellphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on venturing inside.
• Feelings include absolute fear to moments of euphoria.
• Certain individuals report observing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, detecting disembodied whispers through the trees, or experience fingers clutching them, although certain nobody is nearby.

Research Efforts

Although numerous of the tales may be impossible to confirm, there is much visibly present that is certainly unusual. Throughout the area are trees whose bases are curved and contorted into fantastical shapes.

Multiple explanations have been given to account for the deformed trees: that hurricane winds could have shaped the young trees, or naturally high electromagnetic fields in the ground account for their unusual development.

But formal examinations have discovered no satisfactory evidence.

The Legendary Opening

The expert's tours allow visitors to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the clearing in the forest where Barnea took his well-known UFO images, he hands the traveler an EMF meter which detects EMF readings.

"We're venturing into the most energetic section of the forest," he states. "Try to detect something."

The plants immediately cease as the group enters into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the low vegetation beneath their shoes; it's clear that it's not maintained, and looks that this bizarre meadow is wild, not the creation of landscaping.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a place which inspires creativity, where the line is unclear between reality and legend. In countryside villages superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting creatures, who emerge from tombs to terrorise nearby villages.

The famous author's famous vampire Count Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – an ancient structure situated on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the count's residence".

But despite legend-filled Transylvania – actually, "the territory after the grove" – seems solid and predictable in contrast to this spooky forest, which appear to be, for reasons radioactive, environmental or simply folkloric, a nexus for human imaginative power.

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