Montagne de Lachens, Mountain summit in Var, France

Montagne de Lachens is a summit in the Préalpes de Castellane, in the Var department, reaching 1,712 m at its highest point. Its broad, rounded crest is covered in pale grey broken stone and sparse low green and brown vegetation. A slender mast or antenna stands beside a small dark structure on the left of the crest, and a long band of white snow lies in a shallow hollow to the right of the top.

The summit's modern history is tied to a small ski resort, Varneige, opened in 1965 with an hotel-restaurant, two ski lifts and three short runs. The extension of Andon l'Audibergue in 1967 drew away much of its clientele; the accidental death of its manager, lack of maintenance and poor snow seasons closed it in 1969 or the early 1970s. The Conseil général du Var bought the ruined hotel in 2010 and demolished it in October 2012. Two telecommunications pylons formerly used by NATO stand on the summit.

The mountain's Occitan name, L'Achens, is still recorded alongside the French form. The summit's two telecommunications pylons were previously used by NATO, and at their foot lie the remains of the small Varneige ski resort, opened in 1965 with an hotel-restaurant, two ski lifts and three short runs. Local free-flight associations use the slopes for paragliding, hang-gliding and gliding.

The summit can be reached by hiking trails starting from nearby villages, with routes varying in difficulty based on your starting point and experience level. A forest road from Col de Clavel offers an alternative approach that requires less climbing but takes more time overall.

The mountain marks a natural boundary between two distinctly different climate zones, something clearly visible in how the vegetation changes. On clear days visitors can see all the way to the island of Corsica from the summit, which lies far across the sea.