The typical rural village of Sares (Saalen) is situated at 978 metres of altitude and has about 50 inhabitants. Sares and the villages of Onies (Onach) and Elle (Ellen) were first mentioned in documents in 892 AD. The Gschlierhof farm is both the geographical and linguistic border of the municipality of S. Lorenzo, as it separates the German-speaking from the Ladin-speaking area. The Pfaffenberg stream flows along the borderline.

The main attraction of Sares is undoubtedly the pilgrimage church dedicated to S. Maria di Sares above Mantana (Montal). This monument was built in 1653 and is consecrated to S. Maria Sares. It is also the most popular pilgrimage site of the Val Pusteria and is accessible via the via crucis. From here you can walk to the fortress of San Michele Castle and to the seat of the municipality of San Lorenzo di Sebato.