"People refer to this location the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," states a tour guide, his breath creating wisps of condensation in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "Numerous individuals have vanished here, many believe it's a portal to another dimension." Marius is guiding a visitor on a evening stroll through what is often described as the planet's most ghostly woodland: Hoia-Baciu, a section spanning 640 acres of old-growth local woods on the outskirts of the metropolis of Cluj-Napoca.
Accounts of bizarre occurrences here extend back centuries – this woodland is named after a local shepherd who is reportedly went missing in the long ago, accompanied by 200 of his sheep. But Hoia-Baciu came to worldwide fame in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea photographed what he claimed was a UFO suspended above a oval meadow in the heart of the forest.
Countless ventured inside and vanished without trace. But no need to fear," he states, addressing his guest with a smirk. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."
In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yogis, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and supernatural researchers from worldwide, interested in encountering the mysterious powers said to echo through the forest.
Although it is among the planet's leading hotspots for supernatural fans, the grove is under threat. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – an innovative digital cluster of a population exceeding 400,000, known as the Silicon Valley of the region – are advancing, and real estate firms are advocating for approval to cut down the woods to construct residential buildings.
Except for a small area home to locally rare specific tree species, this woodland is not officially protected, but the guide believes that the initiative he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will help to change that, encouraging the authorities to acknowledge the forest's value as a tourist attraction.
As twigs and fall foliage break and crackle beneath their shoes, the guide describes various local legends and reported supernatural events here.
Although numerous of the tales may be hard to prove, numerous elements clearly observable that is undeniably strange. Everywhere you look are plants whose bases are bent and twisted into fantastical shapes.
Different theories have been given to explain the misshapen plants: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or typically increased radioactivity in the ground cause their unusual development.
But formal examinations have turned up inconclusive results.
The expert's tours allow guests to participate in a modest investigation of their own. Upon reaching the meadow in the trees where Barnea photographed his renowned UFO images, he passes the traveler an electromagnetic field detector which detects EMF readings.
"We're entering the most active section of the forest," he comments. "Discover what's here."
The vegetation suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a flawless round. The only greenery is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this strange clearing is organic, not the work of people.
The broader region is a area which fuels fantasy, where the border is blurred between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing bloodsuckers, who rise from their graves to terrorise regional populations.
The novelist's famous fictional vampire is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure situated on a cliff edge in the Carpathian Mountains – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".
But even legend-filled Transylvania – truly, "the territory after the grove" – appears tangible and comprehensible versus this spooky forest, which seem to be, for reasons nuclear, atmospheric or entirely legendary, a nexus for human imaginative power.
"Inside these woods," the guide comments, "the boundary between truth and fantasy is extremely fine."
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