A close-up look at the hot air balloon festival in France.

The Grand Est Mondial Balloon Festival is held every two years and began in 1989. Each time the event takes place, a large number of hot air balloon enthusiasts from all over the world gather here to participate in this exciting cultural event.

This year, the Grand Est Mondial hot air balloon festival set a new record with 456 balloons simultaneously in the air. Enjoy these stunning images from this year's hot air balloon festival in France:

The Phong