A bad news surprised motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the world: the Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum – the motorcycle museum located on the border between Italy and Austria – was destroyed in a fire on monday night.

The fire broke out just before 5am, destroying pretty much the totality of the collection hosted in the museum, fortunately without harming any employees.

The flames began to spread and, according to local media, would have started right from the Top Mountain Crosspoint, the futuristic multifunctional building that also houses the beautiful museum of vintage motorcycles.

About a hundred firefighters from the area intervened on the spot, but the modern 3,000 square meter structure, made mostly of wood, couldn’t be savaged.

The Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum Cross Point is the highest motorcycle museum in Europe. It is located a few kilometers away from the Italian-Austrian border in Passo del Rombo, and was a very popular destination for countless motorcyclists who travel the famous mountain road during the summer. Passo del Rombo is located at 2,474 meters above sea level and is open only in summer.

The building used to fit very well into the Alpine landscape thanks to its wavy line and the wood used for its construction. Inside there was a large collection of vintage motorcycles and cars. It was inaugurated in April 2016.

On 3,000 m² more than 230 classic motorcycles from over 100 manufacturers were exhibited, including Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Ducati, BMW, DKW, Zündapp, Triumph, Sunbeam, Matchless, Brough Superior, Vincent, Honda, Henderson, Indian and of course Harley Davidson .

Some cars were also on display, such as the Ferrari Californian Spider, a Porsche 959 and a Lotus 23 B.
Alban Scheiber, the manager of the Hochgurgl ski lift company, and his brother Attila had realized their dream by building this museum.

The godfather of the museum was one of the most famous motorcycle rider in the world, Giacomo “Ago” Agostini, holder of 15 world championships.

In the Top Mountain Crosspoint there was also a restaurant built in wood and steel, which served Austrian and Italian specialties.

From the terrace there was an extraordinary view of the Ötztal Alps. The building also housed the tollbooth of the Timmelsjoch Road and the Kirchenkar valley station. Together with the Motorcycle Museum, the building had four functions which are symbolized by the X in the name “Top Mountain X-Cross Point”.

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