Bruges (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Bruges, all museums remain closed due to a strike. An Australian couple, who arrived yesterday, Nov 24, 2025, for 4 days, were stranded at Gruuthuse Museum and took a taxi that cost £500 after their Eurostar train was cancelled.
As VRT News reported, all museums in Bruges remain closed due to a strike, affecting both tourists and local visitors. They mentioned that the disruption has left travellers with limited options to explore the city’s cultural sites. An Australian couple visiting Europe spoke about their difficulties.
“We’re coming from Amsterdam,”
the woman said.
“On Saturday, we received an email saying the trains we had booked to Bruges would not run because of the strike. We checked other options, like taking a FlixBus, but it was not operating either. There were no flights available. It has been hard to change our travel plans.”
“Then the hotel was kind enough to arrange private transportation for us, by taxi. The ride cost us 500 euros. That’s a lot of money, money we won’t be able to spend in Bruges anymore.”
How are Australians stranded as the strike closes all Bruges museums?
The couple had also planned to continue their journey to Ghent and Ypres by train. However, they said they were not willing to take the risk while the strike is ongoing.
“We hope to be able to go to Ghent on Thursday after all,”
they said. They said they understood the strike and the workers’ right to protest. Still, the disruption has forced them to reconsider their itinerary and adjust their plans in Belgium over the coming days.
“We’re on a tour of Europe and can’t change our entire itinerary. So we paid the 500 euros to get to Bruges on the scheduled day,”
they said.
A visit to Bruges’ museums was part of an Australian couple’s travel plans. They went to the Gruuthuse Museum, one of the city’s most well-known cultural sites, but found it closed because of the ongoing strike. The couple stood in the pouring rain outside the building, taking in the historic surroundings while unable to enter.
“Apparently, a museum visit won’t be happening today either,”
they laugh, a little greenly.
A British woman at the museum noticed the situation and made a comment.
“We can do so many other things here in Bruges, so we’ll come back tomorrow for a museum visit,”
she said, laughing.
“No, we only heard about it yesterday on the Eurostar. When we arrived in Brussels by train, we were very well helped by a friendly man who explained how to get to Bruges by train. So we’re certainly not complaining.”
Belgium’s major trade unions have called a 3‑day national strike from 24 to 26 November 2025, citing strong opposition to the federal government’s austerity measures. Railway workers’ protests on November 23, 2025, with all public service workers joining on November 25, 2025, and a full cross‑sector strike on November 26, 2025. The unions are protesting cuts to pensions, tightening of social benefits, and other reform plans introduced by Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s government. Business groups warn the strike could cost the economy up to €100 million per day.
