German Chancellor Angela Merkel has visited Hungary for festivities marking the 20th anniversary of the opening of its borders to the non-communist West.

The decision paved the way for the fall of the Berlin Wall three months later.

The open Hungarian border with Austria allowed hundreds of people to leave communist Eastern Europe.

The event was called the "Pan-European Picnic". Mrs Merkel, who grew up in East Germany, thanked Hungarians for their "courage and foresight".