We have managed to score flights to Frankfurt for late Aug 2022 with a return from Milan about 5 weeks later. We have spent a fair bit of time in Southern Germany & Italy previously but this time we may venture north first. We are keen walkers but fine dining and museums are not high priorities. Any suggestions of places you have visited & enjoyed?
Half my family are from NW Germany (Near Wesel), and I've spent a fair bit of time around Germany. The northern part of Germany is flat, great for cycling but as far as walking goes it is nowhere near as dramatic as the south.
One of the more scenic areas near Frankfurt is Rudesheim, the Rhine cruise ads you see take quite a bit of footage from this area up to Koblenz. Plenty of hikes and walks, plus a big winemaking area (one of the german wine regions).
The cities further north on the Rhine (Bonn, Koln, Dusseldorf, Duisburg) do not have striking scenery that cities in the South have. They are more industrialised and modern (akin to Milan/Turin as opposed to Rome/Naples). The more scenic northern areas are closer to the North Sea (Bremen, Hamburg), and further east to Dresden.
Having said that, if you are keen on cycling through the country, the north and north west are great areas, flat roads with plenty of rivers/canals to ride along and lots of Konditorei and Lokals to stop at.