Ettersburg Castle and Park

Schloss Ettersburg is a Baroque hunting lodge and summer palace set on the wooded Ettersberg, about 8 km north of Weimar. Built between 1706 and 1712 for Duke Wilhelm Ernst, it was later enlarged by Duke Ernst August between 1728 and 1740 with a new wing and grand staircase. The palace complex consists of two connected wings forming a courtyard, in a simple yet stately Baroque style. Ettersburg gained fame when Duchess Anna Amalia used it as her summer residence from 1776 to 1780. She hosted a lively intellectual circle here – including Goethe, Wieland, and Musäus – turning Ettersburg into an Arcadian refuge for the Weimar court. In these rooms, lit by candlelight, Goethe read drafts of his plays and Schiller later finished his tragedy "Maria Stuart" in the peaceful atmosphere (1800). The surrounding Ettersburg Park offers a mix of formal gardens and wild forest, with monuments like the Temple of the Muses. After periods of neglect, Schloss Ettersburg was restored in the early 21st century and now functions as a conference center and hotel, while also open for tours and cultural events. Walking through its elegant halls and English-style park (UNESCO-listed with Classical Weimar), one can sense the creative spirits that once found inspiration at Ettersburg.