Ten years have passed since the world lost David Bowie on 10 January 2016, two days after his 69th birthday and the release of his final album, Blackstar. Across Europe, fans continue to honor the legacy of the musician, actor, and style icon, with several locations serving as pilgrimage sites for those wishing to pay tribute.

Bowie was born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 at 40 Stansfield Road in Brixton, London. He lived there until age six before moving to suburban Bromley. Nearby, Stockwell Primary School remains a quiet reminder of his early years. Fans also visit the Brixton Road mural painted by Australian artist Jimmy C in 2013, which became a spontaneous shrine after Bowie’s death, with thousands leaving flowers and tributes. Lambeth Council has committed to protecting the mural for the long term.

Music enthusiasts often make their way to Heddon Street in London, famously captured on the cover of The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. A commemorative plaque at 23 Heddon Street marks the location. For those who prefer a social setting, The Ship bar on Wardour Street in Soho remains a place where Bowie gave interviews and mingled with London’s music scene.

Bowie’s time in Berlin from 1976 to 1979 was pivotal to his artistic reinvention. Seeking to overcome drug addiction and distance himself from the United States, he lived in the city’s Schöneberg district with Iggy Pop. Hauptstraße 155, where he resided, now features a plaque commemorating the period. Nearby Café Neues Ufer, once Anderes Ufer, is one of Berlin’s oldest gay bars and retains images of Bowie and Iggy Pop. Hansa Studios, where Bowie recorded Heroes, and the punk club SO36 on Oranienstraße, remain popular stops for fans retracing his steps in the city.

Switzerland also played a key role in Bowie’s life. From 1982, he lived near Montreux in Blonay, raising his son Zowie (now Duncan) and maintaining a residence until 1982, followed by a stay at Château de Signal in Lausanne. Bowie married his second wife, Iman, in Lausanne in 1992 before returning to the United States in 1998.

Paris has joined the list of European Bowie landmarks with the inauguration of Rue David Bowie in the 13th arrondissement in 2024, near Gare d’Austerlitz. Jérôme Coumet, mayor of the district, noted Bowie’s affection for France and the city’s avant-garde culture, which influenced his visual style.

For fans seeking a more enigmatic connection, Norway offers Ørmen, the village referenced in the Blackstar video. Some interpret it as a metaphorical space, while others treat it as a physical pilgrimage site, symbolizing mortality and transformation, themes central to Bowie’s final work.

Across Europe, these locations provide fans the opportunity to reflect on Bowie’s music, style, and influence. From London to Berlin, Lausanne to Paris, and even Ørmen in Norway, the late artist’s impact continues to resonate, a decade after his passing.