Nestled close to the Bavarian Alps， Munich， or Munchen， reigns as Germany’s most popular tourist destination①. The beauty of the city and its surroundings inspired American novelist Thomas Wolfe to write， “How can one speak of Munich but to say that it is a kind of German heaven？” Munich’s beautiful buildings and several churches were built by the Wittelsbach family that ruled the area for 750 years. They made the city a work of art.
Grand buildings in all styles from Baroque to Modern line streets and plazas， waiting to be photographed. One of the most beautiful—Munich’s New Town Hall， stands on Marienplatz. Built between 1867 and 1908， the building looks like something from a fairy tale. The largest musical clock in Germany clings to one of the towers. Each day at 11 a.m. and noon， the clock’s doors open and brightly-colored wooden dancers perform as the clock sounds the hour.
In nearby Frauenplatz stands Munich’s most famous cathedral， Church of Our Lady. Its two tall towers have become the symbol of Munich’s skyline. Built more than 500 years ago， the cathedral② is just one of Munich’s nearly 300 churches. As early as the 18th century， the city earned the name “Rome of Germany” for its many churches. Visitors wander through the beautiful buildings admiring the architecture. They also gaze at the works of art that fill the interiors of many of the churches.
After wandering Munich’s streets for hours， a visitor may want some refreshments. There are plenty to choose from. Muncheners love to say that “snack time is the best time.” When in the city of beer and sausage， or wurst③， hungry sightseers must sample some. Munich boasts dozens of varieties of both. For a larger meal， the city has more than 5，000 restaurants in every price range. They serve everything from traditional Bavarian specialties to exotic African and Asian foods.
Munich offers a wide variety of “food for the soul” in its many museums， too. For art lovers， The Old Picture Gallery houses a wonderful collection of Old Masters. Those with more modern tastes may prefer the New Picture Gallery with its 19th and 20th century masterpieces. And no one will want to miss the Deutsches Museum—one of the world’s largest museums of science and technology. Inside， visitors can see such wonders as the first camera， the first car and the first refrigerator.
Just about everything from Bavarian costumes and wood carvings to jewelry and handmade German toys can be found in Munich’s shops. Fashionable stores line Maximilianstrasse and two kilometers of pedestrian④ malls near the railway station. The area is particularly attractive around Christmas time， when local craftsmen set up booths and sell all kinds of Christmas ornaments⑤. Don’t save your shopping for Saturday afternoon or Sunday， however. Shops close at 2 p.m. on Saturday and don’t reopen until Monday morning.
Not only foreign visitors wish to come to Munich to enjoy its wonders. A survey showed that if given a choice， most Germans would want to live in Munich. Although more expensive than other German cities， Munich boasts a thriving⑥ business district and many high-tech companies. And considering its fine food， art and architecture， festivals and music， who wouldn’t love Munich？ The city has attracted people for centuries. As historian Aventin wrote in 1526， “Nowhere can you live better.”
① destinationn. 目的地，终点
② cathedraln. 大教堂；主教座堂
③ wurstn. （德国式）香肠
④ pedestrianadj. 徒步的，步行的；行人的，人行的
⑤ ornamentn. 装饰品；装饰，修饰
⑥ thrivev. 兴旺，繁荣，繁盛
聚焦慕尼黑
依偎着巴伐利亚阿尔卑斯山脉的慕尼黑（或称明兴），跃居德国最受欢迎的观光地点。城市本身及四周环境之美激发了美国小说家汤马斯·渥夫的灵感，使他写出：“说起慕尼黑，怎能不说它就像一个德国天堂？”慕尼黑美丽的建筑和几座教堂，是由统治此地750年的威妥斯巴哈家族所建，他们使这城成了一项艺术的杰作。
各样风格的壮观建筑物，从巴洛克式到现代风味，林立在街道和广场旁，正等着您去拍照。其中最美的建筑物之一——新市政厅，就伫立在玛利恩广场上。这栋建筑物建于公元1867年和1908年之间，看起来简直就像出自神话。德国最大的音乐钟就紧贴着此处的一座高塔上。每天在十一点和正午时刻，时钟的门会打开，色彩鲜艳的木偶舞者就在时钟报时的同时进行着表演。
附近的法兰恩广场耸立着慕尼黑著名的大教堂——圣母教堂，它的两座高塔已成了慕尼黑天空景观的象征。这座教堂建于500多年前，不过是慕尼黑近300座教堂之一而已。早在18世纪时，这座城市就因其为数众多的教堂而赢得“德国的罗马”之名。游客在美丽的建筑物中间穿梭漫步，并欣赏其建筑之美；他们也驻足凝视布满许多教堂的艺术品。
游客在慕尼黑街道漫步多时之后，也许会想吃些点心，点心的花样可多了。慕尼黑人很爱这样说：“最好的时光就是点心时间。”当饥饿的观光客置身在这个啤酒与香肠之都时，非得品尝一下不可，慕尼黑有几十种口味不同的啤酒和香肠。若要享用一顿大餐，此城有5，000家以上的餐厅，各种价位都有。提供的菜肴从传统的巴伐利亚名菜，到异国风味的非洲菜及亚洲菜应有尽有。
慕尼黑众多的博物馆也提供了各种不同的“精神食粮”。对艺术爱好者，旧画画廊收藏了18世纪之前的大师级名画；喜欢现代画风的人，也许会比较喜欢新画画廊，展示的是19世纪和20世纪的经典之作。德国博物馆可是没有人愿意错过的，这是全世界最大的科技博物馆之一。游客在里面可以看到许多稀奇的东西，诸如历史上第一架照相机、第一辆汽车和第一个冰箱。
在慕尼黑的商店里几乎什么东西都买得到，从巴伐利亚的传统服饰、木雕品，到珠宝及手工做的德国玩具无奇不有。马克西米连街全是一些时髦的商店，靠近火车站的地方还有长达两公里的步行购物区，这个地区在圣诞节期间特別吸引人，当地的手工匠会在这段期间到此摆摊贩售各种圣诞节的装饰品。不过，你可別等到星期六下午或星期天才来采购，商店在星期六下午两点就关门了，一直到星期一上午才会再开门营业。
不只有外国游客会来慕尼黑享受它的奇观，根据一项调查显示，如果能够选择的话，大多数的德国人会想住在慕尼黑。虽然慕尼黑的消费水平比其它的德国城市还要高，但它仍以其蓬勃发展的商区和众多高科技公司为骄傲。当我们再想到它的精致美食、艺术和建筑，节庆和音乐，谁不会喜欢慕尼黑呢？几百年来，此城不断地吸引游客前来。正如历史学家亚凡亭在西元1526年的描述：“没有別的地方更能让你享受生活了！”