Lau: Cultural Heritage and Birdlife
Accommodation in Lau
Lau between cultural heritage and landscape
Lau is characterised by open agricultural landscapes, while also offering opportunities for swimming and relaxation. Historic buildings, archaeological traces and paths through the landscape offer a variety of points of interest. Along the coast, the birdlife of Lausviken is another attraction. You can tailor your stay around architectural history, wildlife observation or a walk through Lausbackar.
Church, castle tower and archaeological traces
Two building periods meet at Lau kyrka: the Romanesque nave dates from around 1200, and the Gothic chancel from around 1300. The church’s five entrances are also part of its character, and each entrance has its own significance. Lau kyrka is also known for an eight-second reverberation time. Its architecture and acoustics offer two different points of interest for a visit.
Lau kastal is a 12th-century ruin. The ruins of a parsonage adjoin it on the east side. The Bronze Age ship settings at Bandeläins Täppu, about 1.5 kilometres north of the church, date back further. Botvidebackar is also home to a hillfort with a moat and bridge. It has not been investigated; a dating to the Iron Age is considered likely.
The mills also tell different parts of the area’s history. Lau’s six surviving windmills have been restored. Botvide väderkvarn is a post mill dating from 1899; grain was once milled there into flour for the farm’s own use. Smiss kvarn stands out for its octagonal, shingle-clad mill building and onion-shaped cap. In the northern part of Lausbackar, an old cultural landscape with Gotland’s largest system of enclosures has also been preserved.
Paths through Lausbackar and Lau
The Laus backars kulturstig begins in the northeastern part of Laus backar. Along the path, scenic views are combined with a story about the history of the settlement community. The Lau section of Ă–stkustleden offers a different focus: it follows a dead-straight, roughly 1.5-kilometre-long land consolidation road and passes through old forest, young forest and a biotope-protected forest.
Östkustleden also leads to the bathing spot in Lau, just south of Tutens fiskeläge. The routes therefore have different themes: the Kulturstigen focuses on views and settlement history, while the Östkustleden section takes in woodland and the route to the bathing spot. Check local trail conditions before setting out.
Birdlife at Lausviken
Lausviken is a very shallow sea bay. In spring and autumn, it attracts large flocks of migratory birds; the birdlife in the bay is of national interest. A birdwatching tower stands in the shore meadow near the sea, a little north of the mouth of the Närkån. If you plan to visit, check local conditions and facilities beforehand.
Visitor spots and local memories
Kluckartäppu is a summer visitor spot with an information board, seating for breaks and a small pond for wildlife. Masarbods fiskeläge offers a different glimpse into Lau’s past: it has a restored old beach hut built using the Bult technique, with collections of simple objects from Lau’s fishing era.
At Lau Käldu there is a spring house, a basin, an information board and seating. People collect water there for cooking and drinking; check locally for current water availability. Along with the mills and traces of earlier settlements, this place adds another everyday perspective to Lau’s history.
Discover more destinations: Väte, Lojsta, Burgsvik, Tingstäde, Hejdeby, Kappelshamn, Fårö, Romakloster.
For the full travel overview: Gotland.
