Inside Hoia Baciu - The World's Scariest Forest

Nestled between two mountain ranges in Transylvania (Romania) is a forest that even the locals have long avoided entering, for fear of the mysteries within.

Located in Transylvania - a remote and isolated land of Romania and considered the home of Dracula (vampire), Hoia Baciu forest is a place that attracts the curiosity of all those who are passionate about exploring strange and mysterious lands.

The strangely shaped tree trunks add to the strangeness of the Hoia Baciu forest. (Photo: The Sun).

Legend has it that it was named after a shepherd who entered the 'most haunted forest in the world' with his flock of 200 sheep and never returned. Hoia Baciu came to international attention in 1968 when Emil Barnea, a military technician, photographed what he believed to be an unidentified flying object hovering over The Clearing, but this was later denied by the government.

Marius Lazin, president of the Hoia-Baciu Project, an organisation set up to stop the forest being destroyed and organise expeditions into the forest, told The Sun: "The Hoia-Baciu Forest has a rich vegetation and also mysterious stories, strange events and rumours of mysterious disappearances that arouse curiosity."

The photo taken by a tourist is said to show a mysterious figure hiding behind a tree trunk. (Photo: The Sun).

Photo of a strange object believed to be a UFO appearing in this forest. (Photo: The Sun).

Flying object appears in unedited photo. (Photo: The Sun).

In addition, the trees here often grow in strange, winding shapes, but one circular plot of land is completely bare. Scientists have even taken soil samples inside for testing but cannot determine why no trees grow.

An area in the forest where no trees grow. (Photo: The Sun)

Scientists have yet to explain the strange growth patterns of trees in the Hoia Baciu forest. (Photo: Shutterstock).

Part of the forest's mystique also has to do with its proximity to an archaeological site where 10 bodies dating back to 6500 BC were discovered, Mr Lazin explained .

Despite these decades-old unsolved stories, many people still choose to venture into the forest with the help of tour guides from the Hoia Baciu Project. However, Marius Lazin says many guides have witnessed unexplained events while in the forest, from electronic equipment malfunctioning to hearing eerie voices.

'Participants have reported hearing whispers that seemed to emanate from the forest itself, having an eerie feeling of being watched by invisible eyes, and even accidentally capturing mysterious images on camera,' he said.

In addition, some visitors reported feeling nauseous, dizzy and disoriented. Many suffered scratches and unexplained bruises. But no matter what happened, it could not stop the curiosity to go deeper into Hoia Baciu - the scariest forest in the world.

The strangely shaped tree trunks have always attracted the curiosity of tourists for decades. (Photo: The Sun).

A rare poetic moment of Hoia Baciu in autumn. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons).