The Ghosts of Hoia Baciu Forest: Romania’s Haunted Woodland



Nestled in the heart of Transylvania, Romania, Hoia Baciu Forest has earned a global reputation as one of the most haunted forests in the world. Often referred to as “Romania’s Bermuda Triangle,” this eerie woodland is known for its twisted trees, strange lights, and reports of ghostly apparitions, UFO sightings, and unexplained phenomena.

Many believe Hoia Baciu to be a place where the boundary between the living and the dead is blurred, with spirits roaming freely through the dense fog and shadows.

A Place of Mystery and Fear

Hoia Baciu spans over 250 hectares near the city of Cluj-Napoca and has long been shrouded in mystery. The forest gets its name from a shepherd who mysteriously vanished with his entire flock of 200 sheep. According to local legend, neither he nor the sheep were ever seen again, leading many to believe the forest holds supernatural powers.

Over the years, countless visitors, researchers, and paranormal investigators have reported strange encounters, from feelings of dread and sudden nausea to sightings of ghostly figures and glowing orbs.

The Ghosts of Hoia Baciu

The Disappearing Peasant Spirits

Many believe Hoia Baciu is haunted by the spirits of Romanian peasants who were brutally murdered centuries ago. Witnesses claim to see shadowy figures in traditional clothing, wandering the forest before vanishing into thin air. Some even report disembodied whispers and distant screams echoing through the trees.

The Vanishing Girl

One of the most chilling legends tells of a young girl who disappeared in the forest, only to reappear five years later, wearing the same clothes and with no memory of where she had been. Some believe she was taken into another dimension or held captive by supernatural forces.

The Phantom Faces

Photographers visiting the forest often find eerie, ghostly faces appearing in their pictures, even when no one else was present. Some images have captured distorted human-like figures, believed to be spirits trapped within the forest.

Other Paranormal Phenomena

The Clearing – Poiana Rotundă

One of the most mysterious locations in Hoia Baciu is a perfectly circular clearing in the middle of the forest, known as Poiana Rotundă. No trees grow in this area, and despite soil tests showing no reason for the lack of vegetation, nothing ever flourishes there. Many believe it to be a portal to another dimension, a place where spirits gather, or even the site of an ancient curse.

UFO Sightings

Hoia Baciu is also famous for unexplained lights and UFO encounters. In 1968, a military technician named Emil Barnea captured a now-famous photograph of a disc-shaped flying object hovering over the forest. Many visitors claim to see strange floating lights moving unnaturally through the trees, adding to the theory that the forest is a hotspot for extraterrestrial activity.

Feelings of Dread and Physical Symptoms

Visitors often report experiencing intense unease, dizziness, nausea, and rashes when spending time in the forest. Some have described hearing disembodied laughter, whispers, or footsteps following them, even when they were alone.

Is Hoia Baciu Cursed?

While skeptics argue that the eerie happenings can be explained by natural electromagnetic fields, psychological suggestion, or environmental factors, believers in the supernatural see Hoia Baciu as a gateway to the unknown.

Whether the hauntings are caused by restless spirits, extraterrestrial visitors, or energy portals, one thing is certain—Hoia Baciu remains one of the most chilling and enigmatic places in the world.