The village is located on the north side of the Großer Ettersberg at an altitude of around 340 m above sea level and is visible from afar with its extensive wooded area.

The most likely interpretation of the name refers to the German word Eiter, which probably had the meaning "nettle" in place names. We would therefore be looking at a "nettle mountain". This makes it all the more astonishing that many historical figures such as Duke Ernst August, Duchess Anna Amalia, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Christoph Martin Wieland, Franz Liszt, Hans Christian Andersen, Heinrich Hebbel, Moritz von Schwind and, in more recent history, Wernher von Braun and Wolf Jobst Siedler came and went to Ettersburg Castle or spent their school days here. The surroundings and the park were redesigned by the young Hereditary Grand Duke Carl Alexander according to plans by Carl Eduard Petzold. Petzold also laid out the six-hectare landscaped park to the west of the castle and the large forester's lodge meadow, which stretches east of the valley floor from the old castle to the forester's lodge. In 1845, at the suggestion and under the guidance of Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau, the castle avenue, an aisle of the old hunting star, was extended to form the so-called "Pücklerschlag". Our church building also dates back to the choir room of the former collegiate church in Ettersburg Monastery from the 11th century. The monastery was abandoned in 1525 and converted into a domain. The monastery was destroyed during the Peasants' War in 1525 and the stones were removed. In 1865, the church was rebuilt by Karl Alexander (Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach) and his wife Sophie in neo-Gothic style.

Ettersburg is a place of muse and pause with many architectural and historical gems. Here you are far enough away from the hustle and bustle of society, but close enough. From Ettersburg it is only 5 minutes to Weimar, 20 minutes to Erfurt, Apolda, Sömmerda and Jena. The connection to the A4 highway can be reached in 10 minutes.

Today, our village has over 630 inhabitants and continues to grow. A nursing home for the elderly provides a suitable living environment for around 110 people. A campsite invites you to relax. A lively village life awaits you in Ettersburg. The Easter bonfire, Easter egg hunt, May bonfire, Whitsun festival, summer festival, funfair, St. Martin's procession and Advent market are just some of the events organized by the associations, Ettersburg Castle and the volunteer fire department.