In a country known for its gloomy stone castles and grim fairytale settings, the legend of this eerie forest holds its own.
The Hoia-Baciu Forest can be found in the heart of Transylvania, Romania, just outside the ancient town of Cluj-Napoca. Often referred to as Romania’s “Bermuda Triangle,” the dense woodland is notorious for its paranormal activities – including UFO sightings, disembodied screams, and spectral visions caught on camera.
Locals are convinced the forest is haunted, and might even be the home of the Devil himself. Those who enter Hoia-Baciu report experiencing anxiety and intense nausea or migraines. Often, visitors emerge with inexplicable rashes, scratches, and burns on their skin.
The mysterious nature of the forest doesn’t end with its effect on humans, either. Misshapen trees grow irregularly out of the ground, while other trunks appear curiously charred. Deep in the wood is a nearly perfect circular clearing in which no plants are able to grow.
Even the woodland creatures of Hoia-Baciu are unusual. In one instance, a group of hikers were startled by the sudden appearance of a great wolf. The beast stared blankly at the intruders, then calmly walked away.
Hoia-Baciu gained global recognition as a UFO hotspot in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when photographs surfaced of strange lights and disk-like shapes soaring over the treetops. More recently, Dr. Adrian Patrut – a chemistry professor at a local university – launched an investigation into the area, in hopes of explaining its mysterious sights and sounds.
Perhaps no one will ever know just what is going on in the dense woods of Hoia-Baciu. Rumors of time travel and doors to other dimensions are certainly exaggerated.
Nevertheless, it’s clear there’s something unusual about this Romanian wood that sends shivers down the spines of all those souls who are brave enough to visit.
Feature image: Wikemaz / Flickr; Body images: Cristian Bortes / Flickr
