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Jumping in late, and I’ve only been once to Germany for work. The office was in a little town called Estenfeld, outside of Wuerzburg. After work, we all walked around Wuerzburg, and I will agree that this is such a charming, picturesque smaller city. I didn’t expect to enjoy my trip as much as I did. We had a great meal at Weinhaus Stachel, which is one of the oldest restaurants in the city. The city sits over a river and there is a lovely shopping area by the bridge, where visitors can just buy wine and hang out on the bridge. It was beautiful, and our timing was lucky to have beautiful comfortable evenings to hang out.
Anyway, I know OP has her plans already, but another thumbs up for the unexpected small city excursions if it can be arranged.
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Freudenberg is another nice small town to visit. Population around 18, 000.
It’s located close to Cologne.
went to school on the Bodensee, spend several years working in Schweinfurt -
but I have never been a ‘big city’ person.
traveling back on business, weekends I would take a car and meander thru the small towns/villages.
the food was always good - I think the chances of getting not-so-good food are higher in the big cities - any place in small towns that does not serve good food . . . doesn’t last.
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I agree.
I’ve had plenty of mediocre food in small towns. Peeps who never leave their hometown may well believe that their Gasthaus makes the best >insert dish< simply bc they don’t know better, or bc it’s where they or their family always went.
You can have bad food and good food anywhere, regardless of the town’s size 
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I have to agree. The only game in town doesnt have to be good, small towns are being gradually hollowed out… Its harder to make the right choice in bigger places but you cant count on there being good eaing in small towns where there may not be much money to eat out, especially in a rising price environment, large vendor food sources replacing true home cooking, and many of the young and talented leaving for more opportunity. Its a great thing where there is a solid family business that has continued for generations and draws visitors or someone sees the opportunity to settle in an attractive underserved place. I think these are the country/small town restos we all treasure and seek.
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And when the weather’s warm, you can spend an entire day just wandering around (and eating at, and taking sausages and stuff back to the hotel from) the Viktualienmarkt.
Plus to me, Munich has more charming old buildings and museums than Frankfurt. Frankfurt always struck me as kind of industrial, but maybe that’s not a fair assessment because I’ve had a lot more touristy time in Munich than Frankfurt.
I also would never consider Frankfurt or Hessen a culinary destination. Äbblwoi tastes like feet, and it’s not worth it for the grie soß
Kasseler Rippe are delicious.
