Greece, a country of spectacular beaches and beautiful island vacation destinations, experienced a rare winter storm that caused snow to fall over Athens' historical and governmental sites on Tuesday, including the famed Greek Acropolis, a citadel of ancient Greek temples located on a hillock overlooking all of Athens. The Greek capital continues to be gripped by a rare cold snap that has blanketed many of Europe's capitals in snow.

In Athens, guards had to be assisted across the icy square in front of the Hellenic Parliament, while children made the most of the situation and played in the snow. The snowfall inspired a flurry of activity on Greek social media, with many users posting joyful pictures on Instagram and Facebook.

Freezing temperatures affected most of the country, leading to ferries being unable to operate and the closure of schools due to the heavy snowfall. Several households were left without access to water, after pipes froze during the drop in temperature.