Europe's highest motorcycle museum destroyed by fire

A popular motorcycle museum in Austria was destroyed by fire on Monday, with over 200 classic motorcycles perishing in the blaze.

The Top Mountain Motorcycle museum in Tyrol, Austria, was ravaged by the fire which began in the early hours of the morning and quickly engulfed the wooden building and its historic contents.

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Local firefighters were alerted but they were unable to save the museum, with all of the estimated 230 motorcycles, and a few classic cars, thought to have been destroyed. There has been no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is still unclear.

Established in 2016, the museum is located in the village of Hochgurgl, which sits atop of the Öztal Alps in Austria. The building also doubles as a restaurant and a tollway for the Timmelsjoch alpine pass that crosses from Austria into Italy. It is the highest motorcycle museum in Europe, sitting 2175m above sea-level.

The idea for the museum was dreamt up by twin brothers, Alban and Attila Scheiber, sons of Tyrolean tourism pioneer, Alban Snr. As keen motorcyclists, the pair decided to add to the family’s business portfolio by establishing the museum in their hometown of Hochgurgl.

The striking building was designed by Tyrolean architect Michael Broetz and the museum became a popular stop on the Timmelsjoch route, which also includes the Sölden ski resort and the AquaDome complex in Längenfeld.

Machines featured in the collection included a 1912 Indian V-Twin, a 1942 Moto Guzzi Type S, a 1932 BMW R4, plus bikes from Brough Superior, Harley-Davidson, Ducati and Triumph (just to name a small few). Sadly, they are likely now lost to history.