Death Curve (Zakręt Śmierci) Viewpoint
“A legendary dramatic mountain curve overlooking the peaks of the Giant Mountains”
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About this place
The Death Curve (Zakręt Śmierci) is one of the most famous vantage points in the Western Sudetes. Located at 775 metres above sea level along the scenic Sudeten Road (DW 358) between Szklarska Poręba and Świeradów-Zdrój, this nearly 180-degree hairpin turn earned its ominous name due to numerous historical automobile accidents on its steep bend. Constructed between 1935 and 1937 as a strategic military road, the embankment even concealed demolition chambers designed for wartime sabotage. Today, it stands as a celebrated viewpoint offering sweeping vistas over the Jelenia Góra Valley and the main ridge of the Karkonosze range, stretching toward Szrenica and Śnieżka. Beyond its automotive lore and dramatic engineering, the site serves as a bustling trailhead. Marked footpaths lead straight from the curve into the Jizera Mountains, connecting visitors to scenic rock formations and high mountain huts within a short hike.
Take the yellow trail uphill for about 10–15 minutes to Zbójnickie Skałki for a panoramic perspective far above the roadside crowds.
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