The Hoia Baciu Forest is considered one the most mysterious and haunted forests in the world. Deep in the heart of Transylvania, this forest has been terrifying locals for hundreds of years.
Everything about the Hoia Baciu forest is damned. Even the trees are affected by the strange energies that move amongst the trees. Taking on strange and twisted shapes. All of this is enough to attract any ghost buster, but the Hoia Baciu forest circle, dead center of the forest is where the mystery really lies.
Death, disappearances, strange lights, grotesque apparitions, and even ufos are just a few of the oddities here. The Hoia Baciu forest is truly, a haunted forest unlike any other. Let’s Investigate!
Old Depiction of young Noblewomen heading into the Hoia Baciu Forest - Image via - Epoch Times
The Hoia Baciu Forest: Origins
The ancient Hoia Baciu Forest’s exact age is unknown. The only credible guess available today is around 55,000 years old. The forest itself covers an area of three square kilometers, it is also home to the earliest Neolithic settlement ever discovered in Romania.
Part of the discovered settlement - Image via, Pinterest
The settlement was established around 6500 BC. Tombs and houses belonging to the Starevo-Koros-Cris culture were all unearthed in-between 1960 and 1994. But the real mysteries begin when the forest was named.
The Hoia Baciu Forest roughly translates into Shepard’s Forest and gained its name after a Romanian Shepard kissed his wife goodbye and took his flock into the forest. Rumor has it he ventured into the forest looking for grazing plains, when he and his 200 sheep found the infamous Hoia Baciu Forest circle. He never came out, nor did one of his 200 sheep. Of course over the years, this story could have easily escalated. There is one definite part of this legendary tale, that is when the Shepard ventured into the forest circle, every single one of his sheep disappeared. That is when the legend of the Hoia Baciu forest circle began.
Murder plays a large part of this forests foundations. It is a known fact that hundreds of peasants were taken into the forest and slaughtered during the middle ages. This happened a number of times. Whether it was a form of primal population control or a religious sacrifice we will never know, but those dark activities will always leave a stain. Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler was also said to have himself been beheaded here.
The Hoia Baciu Forest has been terrifying locals for hundreds of years, even today they refuse to enter as soon as the sun sets.
Hoia Baciu Forest: Strange Occurrences Within
The Hoia Bacu Forest is an incredibly weird place. From the moment you step into the murky green, there is an intense, almost threatening sense that there is always someone watching you and anxiety.
Some visitors have started uncontrollably vomiting, have terrible migraines or come out in oddly shaped rashes. Worse still, some wanderers have come out in unexplained burns or deep scratches running down their backs.
Of course, there is always the logical explanations, such as allergies or catching yourself on a loose branch. But if you have knowledge on the darker side of the paranormal, you will know, these signs all point towards something a hell of a lot more sinister than the ghost of a peasant.
Inside Hoia Baciu Forest - Image via, Hoia Baciu Forest
Following the great tragedies that have occurred here over the centuries and the unique rumours, demonic activity here would not come as a great surprise.
The Hoia Baciu Forest really came to the attention of the media during 1968, when a biologist called Alexandru Sift visited in search of answers. He wanted to find out just why the trees in the forest were growing in weird and twisted shapes.
The Deeper you journey within the forest the stranger and more twisted the trees become. Instead of directly growing up, they appear to first arch and bend. Sometimes you will find up to eight trees sprouting from a single root. They are all made up of such a strong wood they prove almost impossible to cut down. Strangest of all, some of the trees have large charred patches, as if they have been burned.
The Twisted Trees of Hoia Baciu. Image via - Mystery Facts
The Biologist Sift spent days in the Hoia Baciu Forest. The longer he spent within, the more hostile, he felt, it became. He began to see strange shadows move amongst the trees, he was sure someone was following him. He also heard alot of strange sounds, the strangest of all, he described as ” The sound of teeth chattering.”
He took a lot of photographs. The most famous of all was what looks like a flying disc type object. What he believed to be a UFO.
Hoia Baciu Forest; UFO
The same year Sift captured his famous UFO photo, a military technician named Emil Barnea decided to spend a weekend camping in the forest with some friends. He wanted to capture some evidence of UFO of his own.
As they were all out gathering firewood he heard his friends screaming for him, telling him to look up. He grabbed his camera, swung it up and aimed up. There he saw a bright object, levitating just off the treeline. He took a shot, a shot that is considered to be one of the world’s best UFO photographs.
Emil’s famous UFO photo. Image via - Hoia Baciu Forest
This photo has been praised by UFO experts around the world. It is thought to be one of the best ever captured.
Since then the Hoia Baciu Forest has become something of a UFO hunting hotspot. With countless photo evidence being produced right up to the present day. The majority of UFO and paranormal activity in the Hoia Baciu Forest is known to come out out a large clearing towards the middle of the forest but more of that later.
The Hoia Baciu Forest: Origins
The ancient Hoia Baciu Forest’s exact age is unknown. The only credible guess available today is around 55,000 years old. The forest itself covers an area of three square kilometers, it is also home to the earliest Neolithic settlement ever discovered in Romania.
Part of the discovered settlement - Image via, Pinterest
The settlement was established around 6500 BC. Tombs and houses belonging to the Starevo-Koros-Cris culture were all unearthed in-between 1960 and 1994. But the real mysteries begin when the forest was named.
The Hoia Baciu Forest roughly translates into Shepard’s Forest and gained its name after a Romanian Shepard kissed his wife goodbye and took his flock into the forest. Rumor has it he ventured into the forest looking for grazing plains, when he and his 200 sheep found the infamous Hoia Baciu Forest circle. He never came out, nor did one of his 200 sheep. Of course over the years, this story could have easily escalated. There is one definite part of this legendary tale, that is when the Shepard ventured into the forest circle, every single one of his sheep disappeared. That is when the legend of the Hoia Baciu forest circle began.
Murder plays a large part of this forests foundations. It is a known fact that hundreds of peasants were taken into the forest and slaughtered during the middle ages. This happened a number of times. Whether it was a form of primal population control or a religious sacrifice we will never know, but those dark activities will always leave a stain. Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler was also said to have himself been beheaded here.
The Hoia Baciu Forest has been terrifying locals for hundreds of years, even today they refuse to enter as soon as the sun sets.
Hoia Baciu Forest: Strange Occurrences Within
The Hoia Bacu Forest is an incredibly weird place. From the moment you step into the murky green, there is an intense, almost threatening sense that there is always someone watching you and anxiety.
Some visitors have started uncontrollably vomiting, have terrible migraines or come out in oddly shaped rashes. Worse still, some wanderers have come out in unexplained burns or deep scratches running down their backs.
Of course, there is always the logical explanations, such as allergies or catching yourself on a loose branch. But if you have knowledge on the darker side of the paranormal, you will know, these signs all point towards something a hell of a lot more sinister than the ghost of a peasant.
Inside Hoia Baciu Forest - Image via, Hoia Baciu Forest
Following the great tragedies that have occurred here over the centuries and the unique rumours, demonic activity here would not come as a great surprise.
The Hoia Baciu Forest really came to the attention of the media during 1968, when a biologist called Alexandru Sift visited in search of answers. He wanted to find out just why the trees in the forest were growing in weird and twisted shapes.
The Deeper you journey within the forest the stranger and more twisted the trees become. Instead of directly growing up, they appear to first arch and bend. Sometimes you will find up to eight trees sprouting from a single root. They are all made up of such a strong wood they prove almost impossible to cut down. Strangest of all, some of the trees have large charred patches, as if they have been burned.
The Twisted Trees of Hoia Baciu. Image via - Mystery Facts
The Biologist Sift spent days in the Hoia Baciu Forest. The longer he spent within, the more hostile, he felt, it became. He began to see strange shadows move amongst the trees, he was sure someone was following him. He also heard alot of strange sounds, the strangest of all, he described as ” The sound of teeth chattering.”
He took a lot of photographs. The most famous of all was what looks like a flying disc type object. What he believed to be a UFO.
Hoia Baciu Forest; UFO
The same year Sift captured his famous UFO photo, a military technician named Emil Barnea decided to spend a weekend camping in the forest with some friends. He wanted to capture some evidence of UFO of his own.
As they were all out gathering firewood he heard his friends screaming for him, telling him to look up. He grabbed his camera, swung it up and aimed up. There he saw a bright object, levitating just off the treeline. He took a shot, a shot that is considered to be one of the world’s best UFO photographs.
Emil’s famous UFO photo. Image via - Hoia Baciu Forest
This photo has been praised by UFO experts around the world. It is thought to be one of the best ever captured.
Since then the Hoia Baciu Forest has become something of a UFO hunting hotspot. With countless photo evidence being produced right up to the present day. The majority of UFO and paranormal activity in the Hoia Baciu Forest is known to come out out a large clearing towards the middle of the forest but more of that later.
There is a lot of recent evidence coming out of the forest. Our personal favourite was captured in 2002, by a couple who live on the outskirts of the bordering village, Cluj. Check it out on youtube and let us know what you think.
The Hoia Baciu Forest: Everything Paranormal
The Hoia Baciu Forest is known for being one of the most haunted forests in the world, coming second only to the Suicide Forest in Japan.
It is nothing less than a paranormal hotbed, the sheer amount of inexplicable evidence coming out of Hoia Baciu is almost unparallel to any other location in the world.
There is a lot of recent evidence coming out of the forest. Our personal favourite was captured in 2002, by a couple who live on the outskirts of the bordering village, Cluj. Check it out on youtube and let us know what you think.
The Hoia Baciu Forest: Everything Paranormal
The Hoia Baciu Forest is known for being one of the most haunted forests in the world, coming second only to the Suicide Forest in Japan.
It is nothing less than a paranormal hotbed, the sheer amount of inexplicable evidence coming out of Hoia Baciu is almost unparallel to any other location in the world.
A lot of enthusiasts will tell you a large part of the haunted is due to the mass slaughter of peasants during the middle ages, that it is their ghosts who still linger. Those who have actually spent a night in there will agree there is something more sinister than a murdered peasant lurking within the Hoia Baciu Forest.
Many people have witnessed eyes staring directly at them through the thicket. Often these eyes are accompanied by large hooded figures known to follow you. Others have reported seeing these figures in large groups surrounded by a thick black fog. Long and haunting screams come from within the forest during the night, heard by residents of the bordering village, Cluj. Could that be the residual sound of those murdered peasants?
All of this is terrifying. But the Hocia Baciu forest is most famous for the strange balls of light that can be seen within. Green, red, orange, yellow, and white lights are all seen as a common occurrence here, they are known to follow you through the forest.
One of the many lights captured within the Hoia Baciu Forest - Image via - Youtube.com
In a Halloween special of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, the team capture of the camera what is clearly a ball of deep red light that seems to be following them through the thicket. It changes colour from a deep red to an orange, yellow, and a deep red before disappearing altogether. #
That was the least of Ghost Adventures problems within that forest. The Sh$t really hit the fan when they entered the baron zone in the centre of the forest. Known as The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle.
Hoia Baciu Forest; Circle
The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle is the one part of the forest producing the majority of the activity comes from. It is producing such an intense level of inexplicable phenomena that even professors can not give a credible explanation.
Image via - Pinterest
The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle is a large portion of arid land deep within in the forest where nothing but grass will grow. It has earned the nickname ” Bermuda Triangle of Europe.”
Samples of the soil have been taken by local universities and they show no reason to be stopping the growth of plant life. The soil is exactly the same as the earth supporting the life within the rest of the forest. A recent interview with Professor Adrian Patrut, a professor of chemistry, told researchers ” We have enough results to tell you what it is not, it is not something we can possibly hope to understand in this age.”
The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle is where the most paranormal occurrences are reported from. On the Halloween special of Ghost Adventures a few years back we see Zac and Billy head into the circle. Out of nowhere Zacs Mel Meter begins to go crazy, showing readings off the charts ( the Mel meter picks of on builds of electromagnetic frequencies ). The Zac appears to go into a very short transe like state for a few seconds before snapping out of it in sheer panic. This was freaky enough, but if you listen closley you will hear a very low, almosts subsonic buzzing sound. He blames this sound for one of his strangest paranormal experiences to date.
The Entire Forest - Image via, Google Earth
Some experts have called this hole a portal to another dimension.
There are stories out there that could easily prove these theories if they themselves could be proven true. Stories just like the vanishing Shepherd we read earlier.
The most famous stories coming out of the forest is that of a little girl who lived in a bordering village with her family. She would often venture into the forest to play with her toys. At the young age of five, she went into the forest and did not return home for 5 years. Her family searched and searched for years, and this forest is not huge. They never found her. She turned up 5 years older, confused, unable to speak and with a 9th-century coin in her pocket.
Images all captured from the Hoia Baciu Forest Circle - Image via, Ufo Sightings
The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle is also a well-known spot for all your weekend witches, sorcerers, satanic worshippers, and druids. They come into the circle to perform all manner of dark magic. You can only wonder if they feed of these strange energies and in turn feed it.
There are a lot of theories around the particular patch of dead land, one of the most, mmmm, open minded, being that it was the Atlanteans who created it as an interdimensional portal to travel from.
Despite all of the mad theories, the Hoia Baciu Forest Circle remains on the most haunted, mysteries and damn terrifying locals to spend a night. Maybe in time, we will find out exactly what is causing all of this strange activity, or maybe it’s best we leave the mystery sleeping.
We hope this satisfies your craving for the weird and wonderful today. We spent a long time trying to dig up some mad theories and possible explanations for the Hoia Baciu Forest Circle and we hope you enjoyed reading as much as we enjoyed writing it! If you did please don’t be shy and drop us a comment or like our page! Thanks !
Peace Out - The Haunted Team.
Useful Links -
A lot of enthusiasts will tell you a large part of the haunted is due to the mass slaughter of peasants during the middle ages, that it is their ghosts who still linger. Those who have actually spent a night in there will agree there is something more sinister than a murdered peasant lurking within the Hoia Baciu Forest.
Many people have witnessed eyes staring directly at them through the thicket. Often these eyes are accompanied by large hooded figures known to follow you. Others have reported seeing these figures in large groups surrounded by a thick black fog. Long and haunting screams come from within the forest during the night, heard by residents of the bordering village, Cluj. Could that be the residual sound of those murdered peasants?
All of this is terrifying. But the Hocia Baciu forest is most famous for the strange balls of light that can be seen within. Green, red, orange, yellow, and white lights are all seen as a common occurrence here, they are known to follow you through the forest.
One of the many lights captured within the Hoia Baciu Forest - Image via - Youtube.com
In a Halloween special of Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures, the team capture of the camera what is clearly a ball of deep red light that seems to be following them through the thicket. It changes colour from a deep red to an orange, yellow, and a deep red before disappearing altogether. #
That was the least of Ghost Adventures problems within that forest. The Sh$t really hit the fan when they entered the baron zone in the centre of the forest. Known as The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle.
Hoia Baciu Forest; Circle
The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle is the one part of the forest producing the majority of the activity comes from. It is producing such an intense level of inexplicable phenomena that even professors can not give a credible explanation.
Image via - Pinterest
The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle is a large portion of arid land deep within in the forest where nothing but grass will grow. It has earned the nickname ” Bermuda Triangle of Europe.”
Samples of the soil have been taken by local universities and they show no reason to be stopping the growth of plant life. The soil is exactly the same as the earth supporting the life within the rest of the forest. A recent interview with Professor Adrian Patrut, a professor of chemistry, told researchers ” We have enough results to tell you what it is not, it is not something we can possibly hope to understand in this age.”
The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle is where the most paranormal occurrences are reported from. On the Halloween special of Ghost Adventures a few years back we see Zac and Billy head into the circle. Out of nowhere Zacs Mel Meter begins to go crazy, showing readings off the charts ( the Mel meter picks of on builds of electromagnetic frequencies ). The Zac appears to go into a very short transe like state for a few seconds before snapping out of it in sheer panic. This was freaky enough, but if you listen closley you will hear a very low, almosts subsonic buzzing sound. He blames this sound for one of his strangest paranormal experiences to date.
The Entire Forest - Image via, Google Earth
Some experts have called this hole a portal to another dimension.
There are stories out there that could easily prove these theories if they themselves could be proven true. Stories just like the vanishing Shepherd we read earlier.
The most famous stories coming out of the forest is that of a little girl who lived in a bordering village with her family. She would often venture into the forest to play with her toys. At the young age of five, she went into the forest and did not return home for 5 years. Her family searched and searched for years, and this forest is not huge. They never found her. She turned up 5 years older, confused, unable to speak and with a 9th-century coin in her pocket.
Images all captured from the Hoia Baciu Forest Circle - Image via, Ufo Sightings
The Hoia Baciu Forest Circle is also a well-known spot for all your weekend witches, sorcerers, satanic worshippers, and druids. They come into the circle to perform all manner of dark magic. You can only wonder if they feed of these strange energies and in turn feed it.
There are a lot of theories around the particular patch of dead land, one of the most, mmmm, open minded, being that it was the Atlanteans who created it as an interdimensional portal to travel from.
Despite all of the mad theories, the Hoia Baciu Forest Circle remains on the most haunted, mysteries and damn terrifying locals to spend a night. Maybe in time, we will find out exactly what is causing all of this strange activity, or maybe it’s best we leave the mystery sleeping.
We hope this satisfies your craving for the weird and wonderful today. We spent a long time trying to dig up some mad theories and possible explanations for the Hoia Baciu Forest Circle and we hope you enjoyed reading as much as we enjoyed writing it! If you did please don’t be shy and drop us a comment or like our page! Thanks !
Peace Out - The Haunted Team.
Useful Links -
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” No ghosts here” sign in the entrance of No 81 Chaonei - 
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(The Last Hand of Glory on Display)
