🔗 Share this article Venturing into this Planet's Most Ghostly Forest: Contorted Trees, Unidentified Flying Objects and Eerie Tales in Romania's Legendary Region. "They call this place the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, his breath forming wisps of vapor in the chilly dusk atmosphere. "So many visitors have disappeared here, some say it's a portal to a parallel world." This expert is guiding a traveler on a evening stroll through what is often described as the world's most haunted woodland: Hoia-Baciu, an area covering one square mile of ancient local woods on the outskirts of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca. A Long History of the Unexplained Reports of bizarre occurrences here go back hundreds of years – the forest is called after a local shepherd who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, accompanied by two hundred animals. But Hoia-Baciu achieved international attention in 1968, when an army specialist named Emil Barnea took a picture of what he reported as a flying saucer floating above a oval meadow in the centre of the forest. Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But no need to fear," he adds, turning to the traveler with a grin. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate." In the time after, Hoia-Baciu has drawn meditation experts, spiritual healers, UFO researchers and ghost hunters from worldwide, eager to feel the unusual forces reported to reverberate through the forest. Contemporary Dangers Despite being one of the world's premier hotspots for lovers of the paranormal, the forest is under threat. The western suburbs of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, known as the innovation center of the region – are advancing, and construction companies are advocating for permission to remove the forest to construct residential buildings. Except for a limited section containing regionally uncommon Mediterranean oak trees, this woodland is lacking legal protection, but Marius believes that the organization he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will contribute to improving the situation, persuading the authorities to appreciate the forest's value as a visitor destination. Spooky Experiences While branches and fall foliage split and rustle beneath their shoes, the guide recounts various traditional stories and claimed ghostly incidents here. One famous story recounts a five-year-old girl going missing during a group gathering, only to reappear after five years with no memory of her experience, having not aged a moment, her garments shy of the slightest speck of dust. Regular stories explain mobile phones and photography gear mysteriously turning off on stepping into the forest. Feelings include absolute fear to states of ecstasy. Some people report seeing unusual marks on their skin, detecting unseen murmurs through the forest, or experience fingers clutching them, although certain nobody is nearby. Research Efforts While many of the tales may be unverifiable, there are many things clearly observable that is definitely bizarre. Everywhere you look are plants whose trunks are bent and twisted into fantastical shapes. Various suggestions have been given to clarify the abnormal growth: powerful storms could have bent the saplings, or inherently elevated radiation levels in the soil account for their unusual development. But formal examinations have turned up insufficient proof. The Legendary Opening The guide's walks enable participants to take part in a modest investigation of their own. As we approach the meadow in the forest where Barnea captured his renowned UFO images, he gives the traveler an EMF meter which detects electromagnetic fields. "We're stepping into the most active part of the forest," he states. "See what you can find." The trees immediately cease as the group enters into a perfect circle. The sole vegetation is the low vegetation beneath our feet; it's obvious that it's not maintained, and seems that this bizarre meadow is natural, not the result of landscaping. The Blurred Line This part of Romania is a location which stirs the imagination, where the border is indistinct between reality and legend. In countryside villages belief persists in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, form-changing creatures, who return from burial sites to frighten nearby villages. The novelist's famous vampire Count Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and Bran Castle – a medieval building perched on a stone formation in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "the vampire's home". But including folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – feels solid and predictable compared to these eerie woods, which seem to be, for reasons related to radiation, atmospheric or simply folkloric, a hub for creative energy. "Within this forest," the guide comments, "the division between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."