L'Ecot, high altitude hamlet

The hamlet of l'Ecot, located at an altitude of 2000 m, a classified site since 1971, represents a treasure of preserved mountain authenticity. With its old stones and its roofs of lauzes it is a completely preserved cultural and architectural heritage.

Description

Access to the Ecot hamlet by car from Bonneval sur Arc is regulated and charged for by credit card in July and August, as is the shuttle bus that runs on the same route during the summer.
If you've already forgotten your car, you can also reach the hamlet from the village in an hour's leisurely walk, taking the delightful "sentier des Agneaux" through the pastures, and skirting the canyon of the Arc with its picturesque potholes spanned by the Pont de la Lama, a superb Roman vaulted bridge.
L'Ecot is both the goal and the starting point of numerous walks for all levels (family, bucolic, hikers, mountaineers, etc.).
The mountain pasture paths will then lead you to the Carro or Evettes refuge, to fantastic glacial cirques, or to the pure, wild springs of the Arc... Here are other suggestions for walks and hikes to and from l'Ecot.
In winter, a groomed trail 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

From 01/01 to 31/12, 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

Animals accepted : No