🔗 Share this article

"They call this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states an experienced guide, his exhalation forming clouds of vapor in the crisp evening air. "Countless people have disappeared here, it's thought there's a gateway to a parallel world." This expert is leading a traveler on a night walk through commonly known as the world's most haunted grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of ancient indigenous forest on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Accounts of strange happenings here go back a long time – the forest is called after a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the distant past, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved global recognition in 1968, when a defense worker called Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a UFO suspended above a round opening in the heart of the forest.

Many came in here and failed to return. But no need to fear," he continues, addressing his guest with a smirk. "Our excursions have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, shamans, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from worldwide, curious to experience the unusual forces reported to reverberate through the forest.

Modern Threats

It may be one of the world's premier destinations for paranormal enthusiasts, the grove is under threat. The outlying areas 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 advocating for permission to cut down the woods to build apartment blocks.

Aside from a limited section home to area-specific Mediterranean oak trees, the forest is without conservation status, but Marius is confident that the organization he helped establish – a local conservation effort – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the local administrators to acknowledge the forest's importance as a visitor destination.

Chilling Events

As twigs and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide recounts some of the folk tales and claimed paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story tells of a young child vanishing during a family picnic, later to reappear after five years with no recollection of her experience, having not aged a moment, her garments shy of the tiniest bit of dust.
• Regular stories detail cellphones and imaging devices mysteriously turning off on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses vary from complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Certain individuals report noticing unusual marks on their arms, hearing unseen murmurs through the trees, or sense palms pushing them, although sure they are alone.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the tales may be unverifiable, there are many things before my eyes that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are vegetation whose stems are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Various suggestions have been proposed to explain the misshapen plants: powerful storms could have shaped the young trees, or naturally high radiation levels in the ground cause their unusual development.

But research studies have turned up inconclusive results.

The Famous Clearing

The expert's tours allow visitors to take part in a modest investigation of their own. As we approach the clearing in the trees where Barnea took his renowned UFO pictures, he gives his guest an EMF meter which registers electromagnetic fields.

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

The trees suddenly stop dead as we emerge into a flawless round. The only greenery is the trimmed turf beneath our feet; it's clear that it hasn't been mown, and seems that this strange clearing is natural, not the work of human hands.

The Blurred Line

The broader region is a place which fuels fantasy, where the line is indistinct between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, shapeshifting creatures, who rise from their graves to frighten local communities.

The famous author's renowned character Dracula is permanently linked with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a medieval building perched on a stone formation in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "the vampire's home".

But including folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – feels tangible and comprehensible versus this spooky forest, which appear to be, for reasons nuclear, atmospheric or purely mythical, a center for human imaginative power.

"Inside these woods," the guide says, "the line between truth and fantasy is extremely fine."