European Walk of Fame

Everybody knows the famous walk of fame in Hollywood, California where accomplished celebrities immortalize their handprints on the boulevard. Similar places can be found all over the world, but the second-largest is located in the Netherlands.

The walk of fame opened in May 1990 in the aptly named Sterrenboulevard (or Avenue of Stars), inaugurated by Johnny Grant, who was the mayor of Hollywood at the time. 

The first person to immortalize themselves was Bep van Klaveren, an Olympic champion boxing. Soon after, many other local and international celebrities did the same such as Meatloaf, Micky Mouse, La Toya Jackson, and Nancy Sinatra. Eventually, a collection of over 150 prints were collected. 

Unfortunately, the walk grew too big for its location and was moved in 2010. The bulk of it was moved to its current location in the southern center of the city, with some stones being donated to, or adopted by various organizations related to the person.

Currently, the city is discussing whether or not to keep the walk of fame at its current state. Some want to reunite all the stones, while others just want them gone from their current location.

Update: The European Walk of Fame in Rotterdam was dismantled on April 4, 2022. Many of the tiles have found new homes.