"Locals dub this location a mysterious vortex of Transylvania," remarks an experienced guide, the air from his lungs producing puffs of mist in the crisp dusk atmosphere. "So many people have vanished here, some say it's an entrance to a parallel world." The guide is escorting a visitor on a nocturnal tour through frequently labeled as the planet's most ghostly grove: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval native woodland on the fringes of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.
Centuries of Mystery
Stories of bizarre occurrences here go back hundreds of years – this woodland is named after a regional herder who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, together with his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a military technician named Emil Barnea took a picture of what he claimed was a UFO hovering above a circular clearing in the middle of the forest.
Many came in here and vanished without trace. But rest assured," he continues, addressing the traveler with a smirk. "Our tours have a flawless completion rate."
In the decades since, Hoia-Baciu has brought in yoga practitioners, spiritual healers, ufologists and paranormal investigators from across the world, interested in encountering the strange energies said to echo through the forest.
Contemporary Dangers
It may be one of the world's premier destinations for supernatural fans, the forest is at risk. The western districts of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, described as the innovation center of the region – are encroaching, and developers are advocating for permission to cut down the woods to build apartment blocks.
Barring a small area home to area-specific oak varieties, the forest is without conservation status, but Marius is confident that the initiative he was instrumental in creating – a dedicated preservation group – will contribute to improving the situation, motivating the government officials to recognise the forest's importance as a visitor destination.
Chilling Events
When small sticks and autumn leaves break and crackle beneath their boots, the guide describes various traditional stories and alleged paranormal happenings here.
- A popular tale recounts a young child disappearing during a group gathering, later to return after five years with complete amnesia of her experience, without aging a single day, her attire lacking the tiniest bit of dirt.
- Regular stories detail cellphones and imaging devices unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
- Emotional responses vary from complete terror to feelings of joy.
- Certain individuals claim observing bizarre skin irritations on their bodies, perceiving disembodied whispers through the trees, or feel palms pushing them, despite being sure they are alone.
Scientific Investigations
While many of the stories may be unverifiable, there is much clearly observable that is definitely bizarre. Everywhere you look are trees whose bases are curved and contorted into bizarre configurations.
Different theories have been proposed to clarify the deformed trees: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated electromagnetic fields in the ground explain their strange formation.
But scientific investigations have discovered no satisfactory evidence.
The Famous Clearing
Marius's excursions allow guests to participate in a small-scale research of their own. As we approach the opening in the trees where Barnea took his well-known UFO images, he hands his guest an EMF meter which detects EMF readings.
"We're venturing into the most energetic area of the forest," he comments. "Try to detect something."
The plants suddenly stop dead as the group enters into a complete ring. The sole vegetation is the trimmed turf beneath the ground; it's obvious that it's naturally occurring, and seems that this strange clearing is organic, not the creation of human hands.
The Blurred Line
This part of Romania is a place which fuels fantasy, where the line is unclear between truth and myth. In countryside villages superstition remains in strigoi ("screamers") – undead, shapeshifting bloodsuckers, who return from burial sites to frighten regional populations.
The novelist's well-known vampire Count Dracula is always connected with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – a medieval building situated on a cliff edge in the mountain range – is keenly marketed as "Dracula's Castle".
But despite folklore-rich Transylvania – actually, "the land past the woods" – appears tangible and comprehensible compared to the haunted grove, which give the impression of being, for reasons nuclear, atmospheric or simply folkloric, a hub for human imaginative power.
"In Hoia-Baciu," the guide states, "the division between reality and imagination is remarkably blurred."
