Berlin Wall Balloons: The Best Lichtgrenze Photos on Instagram

More than a million Germans and people from around the world celebrated the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the event which marked the end of the Cold War more than any other.

A spectacular 15 kilometre-long string of 7,000 illuminated helium balloons traced the course of the barrier that once snaked through the city, slicing across streets, between families and even through graveyards.

They were set free one after another into the night sky, symbolising the breaching of the wall by crowds of protesters in 1989.

Despite the fog and cold, many wandered along the former "death strip" where the wall stood and where the illuminated helium balloons forming the "Lichtgrenze", or Border of Light, were perched 3.6m (11.8ft) high on poles matching the height of the barrier built in 1961 by Communist East Germany.

Thousands of people recorded their impressions of the event on Instagram, using the hashtag #lichtgrenze. In this gallery, we publish some of the best.