Be afraid in the Baciu Hoia Forest near Cluj-Napoca

While traveling in Romania, you will surely come in contact with the Romanian people. They will be eager to tell you stories about our beautiful country - the story of a Viennese sculptor, how to detect Dracula in Transylvania or even warn you to be afraid in the Baciu Hoia Forest. Located near the city of Cluj-Napoca, in northwestern Romania, the Hoia Baciu is well-known as “the most haunted forest in the world”. 

Hoia Baciu Forest near Cluj-Napoca

QGGC+79 Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Why is the Baciu Hoia Forest scary?

Over the years, several stories and legends were written about the Hoia Baciu Forest. The stories have mainly the following themes: a place where people disappear, the ghost stories, a portal to another world and UFO sightings, etc.

Many locals are afraid to enter the forest being scared of never coming out of it. The first legend tells us a story of a shepherd that entered this woodland along with his 200 sheep and disappeared without a trace. Although the locals underwent an intensive search, they weren’t able to trace him.  According to a second legend, a little girl went for a walk in this woodland. She also disappeared but reappeared after five years, wearing the same clothes she had on the day she went missing and having no recollection of the time spent in the forest. 

Many ghost stories have the Hoia Baciu Forest as a location. Feeling the presence of trapped souls and the photographic proofs of a black mist are common here. The malfunctioning of electronic devices, batteries being drained or fluctuation of magnetic fields were also often reported. Other people are convinced that nausea, headaches, rashes or anxiety felt while and after visiting this woodland are connected to the ghost that haunts it.

In the forest, one can find a large, circle-shaped clearing, known as the Dead Zone, as no trees or any kind of vegetation grows here. The samples of soil were not helpful to understand why this phenomenon occurs, but there are other theories that could explain this. Considered a portal to another world, this area cannot allow vegetation to grow. Starting from here, the vegetation can be unusual, as without any scientific explanation some of the trees grow in a bent form or in a strange way. This is also the spot where some UFOs have been seen and, according to some voices, even caught on tape.   

Not only a place to be afraid of

If some people are scared of the Baciu Hoia Forest, there are others who embrace its mystery and join the organized parties. Among the most famous ones is the WoodTech Festival, which mostly takes place every year in August. The date for the year 2019 hasn’t been announced yet.

Either you are eager to be afraid in the Baciu Horea Forest or enjoy a good party with your friends, this natural corner near the Cluj-Napoca city in Romania is something one should definitely visit.