Zawratowa Turnia (2247 m a.s.l.) is a striking rocky peak set in the eastern ridge of Świnica in the High Tatras — rugged, exposed and surrounded by three glacial cirques. It sits at a natural crossroads of some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in the Polish Tatras.
The peak towers above the Mylna Kotlinka hollow, the Zmarzły Staw Gąsienicowy cirque and the Dolinka pod Kołem valley, forming a spectacular viewpoint between these wild glacial basins. Heading northward from here is the famous Kościelec Ridge, with Zadni Kościelec, Kościelec and Mały Kościelec lined up in succession. The terrain is truly alpine — steep rock faces, significant exposure and a raw high-mountain climate make Zawratowa Turnia an impressive sight in every season. Summer brings active trekkers through the nearby Zawrat pass, while winter transforms the area into a serious and silent world of snow and ice.
How to get to the summit areaJust below the Zawrat pass, a small figure of the Virgin Mary is fixed into the rock face — placed there in 1904 by Father Walenty Gadowski and Klimek Bachleda to mark the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It is one of those quiet, moving details that give Tatra mountain trails a special depth beyond the scenery alone.