Warsaw on Independence Day: closed streets, a run and a weapons ban

If you are in Warsaw on Wednesday, 11 November, plan your route in advance. The capital is marking National Independence Day with a packed programme, and some streets will be closed.

The main ceremonies will take place on Piłsudski Square. Elsewhere in the city there is the Independence Run, plus a festival called Wspólna Niepodległa ("Shared Independence"). Public transport will run on detours while the closures are in place.

Police have also announced a temporary ban on carrying or transporting weapons in Warsaw on that day. The interior ministry's spokesperson, Karolina Gałecka, said it is an extra precaution given the scale of the events.

Things will look different in Kraków. The city is still in mourning, so the usual march will not take place. Local authorities changed the programme and cancelled some events.

The date marks 1918, when Poland re-emerged as a state after 123 years of partitions. After the communist era, 11 November was restored as the national holiday.