INDEPENDENCE DAY

Poland may be amongst the oldest countries in Europe. But in the late 18th Century it was wiped off the map for 150 years. Independence returned in 1918 in the wake of the First World War. The hero of the day was Marshal Pilsudski, whose stature here is akin to Churchill's in England. Technically November 11th is a national holiday, but most cafes and restaurants will remain open in Zakopane.