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"Locals dub this place an enigmatic zone of Transylvania," states a local guide, his breath producing wisps of mist in the chilly evening air. "So many people have disappeared here, some say it's an entrance to another dimension." This expert is guiding a guest on a evening stroll through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of primeval local woods on the edges of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.

Hundreds of Years of Enigma

Reports of strange happenings here date back a long time – the grove is titled for a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the far-off times, along with two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu gained worldwide fame in 1968, when an army specialist called Emil Barnea took a picture of what he described as a unidentified flying object floating above a circular clearing in the heart of the forest.

Countless ventured inside and never came out. But no need to fear," he continues, turning to the visitor with a grin. "Our excursions have a perfect safety record."

In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn yoga practitioners, traditional medicine people, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from around the globe, interested in encountering the strange energies said to echo through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Although it is a top global destinations for lovers of the paranormal, the grove is at risk. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of more than 400,000 people, described as the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe – are encroaching, and developers are advocating for approval to cut down the woods to erect housing complexes.

Except for a few hectares housing regionally uncommon Mediterranean oak trees, the forest is without conservation status, but the guide believes that the organization he helped establish – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the local administrators to appreciate the forest's value as a tourist attraction.

Eerie Encounters

As twigs and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their footwear, the guide recounts numerous traditional stories and reported supernatural events here.

• One famous story recounts a five-year-old girl disappearing during a family outing, later to rematerialise half a decade later with no recollection of what had happened, showing no signs of aging a single day, her attire without the smallest trace of dirt.
• More common reports detail cellphones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on stepping into the forest.
• Emotional responses vary from complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Certain individuals state seeing bizarre skin irritations on their skin, hearing ghostly voices through the forest, or sense hands grabbing them, even when sure they are alone.

Study Attempts

While many of the tales may be unverifiable, there are many things clearly observable that is certainly unusual. Throughout the area are vegetation whose trunks are bent and twisted into unusual forms.

Different theories have been given to explain the abnormal growth: powerful storms could have shaped the young trees, or typically increased radiation levels in the earth cause their crooked growth.

But research studies have turned up no satisfactory evidence.

The Notorious Meadow

The expert's excursions enable guests to participate in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the clearing in the forest where Barnea took his renowned UFO images, he hands the visitor an ghost-hunting device which registers electromagnetic fields.

"We're stepping into the most energetic section of the forest," he comments. "See what you can find."

The vegetation abruptly end as we emerge into a flawless round. The only greenery is the short grass beneath the ground; it's clear that it's not maintained, and looks that this unusual opening is wild, not the work of people.

The Blurred Line

The broader region is a location which fuels fantasy, where the border is unclear between reality and legend. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – supernatural, appearance-altering bloodsuckers, who emerge from tombs to haunt nearby villages.

Bram Stoker's renowned fictional vampire is always connected with Transylvania, and the historic stronghold – a Saxon monolith located on a stone formation in the Carpathian Mountains – is heavily promoted as "Dracula's Castle".

But even folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the place beyond the forest" – appears real and understandable versus these eerie woods, which appear to be, for causes nuclear, environmental or entirely legendary, a hub for fantasy projection.

"Inside these woods," the guide says, "the division between fact and fiction is extremely fine."