The small village (379 m above sea level, 98 inhabitants), situated on a ridge between Etzelbach and Kuhfraß, was first mentioned in a document in 1194 as Meczelbach.

The village church stands small and lofty at the highest point, giving the village a picturesque appearance. Next to the church, which was originally Romanesque, there are three stone crosses, the so-called "Schwedenkreuzze", in the area of the Angerteich pond.

Mötzelbach is a typical village in a scenic, peaceful location. The rural idyll has been preserved here, with ducks on the village ponds, sheep on the edge of the local road and stately half-timbered farmhouses along the green bank.

The old market path leads from Angerteich via Oberhasel to Rudolstadt. Farmers' wives used to carry their baskets of potatoes, vegetables and other produce to the market in Rudolstadt and back.