# WeLoveBrussels
Why do I love Brussels? by Boro Milovic
Boro Milovic is an EU affairs consultant, focusing on cities & regions, place branding and digital engagement. He is the founder of WeLoveBrussels, an innovative bottom-up city branding platform, involving a digital community of 30.000 people.
When I arrived to Brussels in 2008, I felt at home. The first thing that attracted me to the city was the presence of contrasts and absence of uniformity – an amazing mix of nationalities, cultures and languages on every single corner. I moved to Brussels to work at one of the EU institutions; therefore, the first face of the city that I was introduced to was the-capital-of-Europe one. For the majority of political wonks, being in the powerhouse of Europe is very exciting. One can see corridors of power everywhere and even for tourists the EU district would be amusing to visit. However, Brussels has many other labels besides the‘ EU bubble’ label – in fact, it is a city-region with 19 distinct municipalities and many diverse districts. It’ s hard to name the things that I love the most in Brussels, but first things that come to mind are its busy streets, beautiful Art Nouveau architecture, colorful shops, tasty chocolate stands, pop-up waffles & frites, charming Brusseleirs, funny Eurocrats, chic Sablon, pricey Louise, fashionable Dansaert, authentic Marolles, buzzing Ixelles, lively St Gilles, and I dare to say: one of the most beautiful squares in the world – the famous Grand Place / Grote Markt.
Certainly, the people are the most valuable asset for any city. Brussels is full of energy, creativity and wonderful people. This is probably the reason why Brussels managed to rise quickly after the unfortunate events earlier this year, which completely paralyzed the city. Locals were quick to respond with their unique spirit, which once again proved that Brussels is the real capital of surrealism. This city has a unique mix of residents; Belgians are often hard to find and commuters from neighboring towns and regions are present everywhere during the week. When you add numerous expats and tourists to this mix- one can easily see that Brussels is a true cosmopolitan city, a place that allows you to be who you want to be. In fact, this is what many people love about Brussels: it doesn’ t have a uniform identity nor does it tries to impose one. The city is a real puzzle, a big one, made of many different parts, which are hard to assemble. And this is what I find unique and attractive.
Tourists usually fall in love with Brussels at first sight while visiting all the beautiful places and landmarks, seeing charming cobblestoned streets and awing the history. Below are some of the things, which probably most visitors and locals love in Brussels.
6