L'Ecot, a high-altitude hamlet

The hamlet of l'Ecot, situated at an altitude of 2000 m, has been a listed site since 1971, and represents a treasure trove of preserved mountain authenticity. With its old stones and slate roofs, it is a completely preserved cultural and architectural heritage.

Description

In winter, a groomed slope opens the door to the pure mountain world that pervades the atmosphere of l'Ecot...
As you scan the valley floor, it's sometimes hard to make out a few stone houses, covered in lause, nestling on a flat overlooking the Arc gorges: the hamlet of l'Ecot is in perfect symbiosis with its majestic surroundings. The beautiful Romanesque chapel of Sainte-Marguerite, with its medieval frescoes, dominates the houses clustered around the cobbled alley below.
Cupules engraved on glacier-polished rocks bear witness to the prehistoric imprint of the area. Piedmontese shepherds then settled here with their flocks around the 5th century, surviving the harsh, frugal conditions of altitude. Inhabited year-round until 1960, then abandoned in winter, l'Écot is now home to several young Bonneval households.
L'Écot represents a completely preserved cultural and architectural heritage that appealed to Nicolas Vanier when he was looking for a location for his film Belle et Sébastien. Many will remember this TV series from the 60s, which recounts the extraordinary encounter between a mountain child and a wild dog. The hamlet of l'Ecot fitted the scenario perfectly, and the film was shot in 2012 and released in 2013, selling 3 million tickets. In 2014, Christian Duguy directed the sequel to this story, Belle et Sébastien, l'aventure continue. L'Ecot is obviously the main setting, and the film was released in December 2015.

Belle et Sébastien 3 was released in cinemas in February 2018. This episode was also shot in Bonneval and the hamlet of l'Ecot.

The hamlet of l'Ecot exudes the authenticity and simplicity with which you'll be welcomed in Bonneval!

Environments

• In the mountains

Rates

Free access.

Opening period

All year round, every day.

Spoken languages

• French

Location

Access to the hamlet of l'Ecot by car from Bonneval sur Arc is regulated and charged by credit card in July and August, as is the shuttle bus which runs on the same route during the summer. Don't hesitate to take the pretty Chemin des Alouettes for a pleasant hike.

Animals

Pets allowed : No