Lauw was part of the Abbey of Masevaux, which had a sawmill there.
A frontier village from 1870 to 1914 and from 1940 to 1944, Lauw had a customs office that controlled the roads leading to Belfort.
In 1907, American troops set up a field hospital in the former lime kiln quarries. Before being liberated on November 26, 1944, Lauw was hit by artillery fire.
Situated on a fracture field separating primary and secondary rocks, the village has an interesting subsoil.
Tourist attractions :
- au Fil de Lauw discovery trail
- saint Eloi church
- holhenstein cave