Laas: Marble, Churches and Regional Culture
Accommodation in Laas
Laas reveals its character especially where Lasa marble, sacred buildings and insights into traditional craftsmanship come together. This creates a destination where cultural sightseeing is combined with an in-depth look at marble. The original Laas inclined railway dates from 1930 and transports up to 18 tonnes of marble from the quarry to the valley.
Marble shapes the landscape and village character
The marble quarries of the Jennwand massif are visible from the valley floor above Laas and Göflan. They lie at elevations between 1,500 and 2,250 metres and give the landscape a clear connection to marble extraction. At the Laas Marble World, the history of extraction and marble processing is presented using information panels and in a sculpture park. This means that you encounter marble not only as rock in the mountains, but also as a shaped and processed material.
Churches with medieval traces
The parish church of St. John in Laas was built around the year 1200 on the site of a predecessor church from the Carolingian period. An Early Medieval relief depicting the three holy martyrs Sisinius, Alexander and Martyrius adorns the altar table. The rare Romanesque Church of St. Sisinius was built as a choir-tower church on the ruins of an earlier building. The connection to the local material is particularly evident at the church portal: it is made of pure Lasa marble. Guided tours of the Church of St. Sisinius are offered by Marmorplus on request.
Sightseeing and routes to the marble
If you would like not only to view the marble but also to learn about its processing and extraction from different perspectives, the Marble Adventure Tour combines a visit to the Laas Marble World with a tour of the Lasa Marmo works. On the Marble Quarry Tour, shuttles take participants to the machine house. From there, the hike over 365 steps to the WeiĂźwasser quarry begins. The different offerings each have their own focus: the exhibition, works tour and hike make the marble accessible in different ways.
Apricots, craftsmanship and regional products
Regional food culture is also part of the experience in Laas. At Kandlwaalhof, visitors can see how vinegar, fruit juices, dried fruit, mustard and Weirouge are produced. The “Marble & Apricots” cultural festival is held every year in August in Laas in the Vinschgau Valley and brings together apricots and Lasa marble. During your stay, natural produce, processing and the location’s defining material thus come together.
Choose Laas as your destination
For planning your trip, Laas offers particularly interesting points of connection if you would like to combine culture, regional products and a closer look at the landscape. When choosing a hotel or other accommodation, you can therefore consider whether the churches, the Marble World, a guided tour, the Marble Quarry Tour or the August date of the cultural festival should be the focus of your stay.
Further destinations for orientation: Taufers in MĂĽnstertal, Prad am Stilfserjoch, Kapron, Latsch, Morter, Burgeis, Martell, Graun in Vinschgau
To the overarching travel overview: Vinschgau Valley.
