Sights to See in England

1. Sights to See in England
DANE D’ALESSANDRO

2. Sights to See in England
Dane D’Alessandro has served as section chief of investigations for the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau since October 2011. Outside of work, Dane D’Alessandro enjoys traveling
throughout Europe, frequently choosing Germany as a destination of choice.

3. Sights to See in England
Germany has gained increasing prominence as a global tourist destination, especially since the
reunification of West and Germany in the 1990s. Although Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich are
well-established tourist destinations, many of Germany's cultural and geographic pleasures can
be discovered by visiting the smaller university towns of Trier, Freiburg im Breisgau, and
Heidelberg.

4. Sights to See in England
Trier: Set in a valley on the banks of the Mosel River, Trier is Germany's oldest city, in the state of
Rhineland-Palatinate, less than 30 minutes from the Luxembourg border. Founded as a Roman
colony in 16 B.C. by Emperor Augustus, Trier boasts northern Europe’s most impressive
collection of Roman remains, living up to its historical reference as “Roma Secunda", or the
second Rome. Among the most impressive of standing Roman artifacts is the Porta Nigra (“black
gate”), dating back to 180 A.D., which remains the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps and
is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trier’s more modern attractions include a visit to the Karl
Marx house (Marx was born in Trier in 1818), now a museum featuring rare editions of Marx’s
writings, scenic drives through the Mosel Valley, and the University of Trier, located on top of the
Tarforst heights, a modern district on the outskirts of the city.

5. Sights to See in England
Freiburg im Breisgau: Founded in 1186 and a historically a center of mining industry in the Ore
Mountains, Freiburg is now better known as a university town surrounded by nature. Especially
surprising, given the city’s industrial history, Freiburg is one of the greenest cities in the world.
The city is renowned for its eco-friendly housing, use of solar power and alternative
transportation. Nestled in the valleys of the Münzbach and Goldbach streams, Freiburg also sits
at the entrance of Germany’s fabled Black Forest. Today, more than 20,000 students attend the
University of Freiburg, Germany’s fifth-oldest university, which stands as one of Europe's top
research and teaching institutions. The university’s campus is widely distributed across the city
itself, endowing the city of Freiburg with a youthful vibe.

6. Sights to See in England
Heidelberg: Located in the valley of the Odenwald Mountains and on the banks of the River
Neckar, Heidelberg is a picturesque and romantic city, and the fifth largest in the state of Baden-
Württemberg. A city whose beauty has long been admired by Goethe, Turner, and Disraeli,
Heidelberg was largely spared allied bombings during WWII, which destroyed many of other
German cities, and has thus retained its baroque charm of narrow streets, picturesque houses
and the city’s picturesque calling card, the Heidelberg Castle. Heidelberg is home to the oldest
university in Germany, the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, or Heidelberg University.
Interestingly given its location, in the protected valley between the Pfälzerwald and the
Odenwald, Heidelberg features an oceanic climate and is often recorded as the warmest place
within Germany.