TOP Mountain Crosspoint Museum consumed in fire
One of the world’s largest motorcycle museums, located at the TOP Mountain Crosspoint in Hochgurgl and featuring 230 historical motorcycles from over 100 different manufacturers has burnt down overnight.
This is one of the biggest losses of historic motorcycles since the British National Motorcycle Museum went up in flames in 2003 with the loss of 380 important motorcycles.
An employee staying in staff accommodation was woken by the fire alarm during the night and despite trying to put the fire out with fire extinguishers was soon forced out of the building due to smoke.
The cause of the fire is so far unclear, with the fire brigade getting the blaze under control by late morning, however it is believed the entire museum has been lost. The museum only opened in Spring of 2016.
District fire investigators from LKA Tirol are on the scene working to discover the cause of the fire.
The museum encompassed 3,000 m² of motorcycle displays and is believed to have been one of the most valuable collections in the world. It was built by Alban and Attila Scheiber, with the interior characterised by extensive use of wood in a vintage style. The museum was also Europe’s highest, located at over 2000 metres above sea level.
The TOP Mountain Motorcycle Museum was closed due to COVID19 quarantine at the time of the fire, and was scheduled to re-open January 24 when quarantine restrictions lifted.
