 Situated 600 to 650 m above sea level in the valley of the Cold Bode, the parish of Schierke has an area of 40.1 km² and a population of 713 (as at 31 December 2007).Today Schierke again is a popular place to start or finish a walk to the Brocken massif via the "Goetheweg" or the "Glashüttenweg".It has bus service and access to the Brocken Railway, whose station is located about 100 metres above the village.