Althea
Althea | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
 | |
| Country | Laeral |
| Province | Loiraine |
| Founded | 1702 |
| Founded by | Guillaume de Créquy |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Frédéric Ricard (Socialist-Farmer-Labor) |
| Elevation | 18 m (58 ft) |
| Population (2018) | |
| • Total | 7,389,672 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 |
| Website | villealthea.gov.lr |
Althea is a municipality in the province of Loiraine in Laeral. The second-largest city in the country, with a population of around 7.3 million, Althea is home to a deepwater port facility which is the largest port in Laeral by volume of traffic. The historical center for Arrivée settlement, Althea was the capital of Laeral until 1894, when it was moved to Laeralsford.
Althea is a major cultural center and tourist destination, home to tourist attractions such as the Summer Court, the historic Cyr Bridge and Laeral's largest casinos. Althea City University, Laeral's oldest university, is also in Althea, as is the Laeralian Constitutional Court.
The Duchess Louise Hospital in Althea is Laeral's second-oldest, and third-largest, hospital. Althea is home to a large expatriate community, notably the noted Kerlian dissident Hannah Sinclair.
Notable Places[edit | edit source]
- The Meclond Cistern, a historic cistern used to provide fresh water to the city
- Cyr Bridge, a photogenic historic bridge
- The Summer Court, the best-preserved of the Laeralian dukes' palaces, with a view of the Albarine Sea
- Fontannes Gardens, a park and botanical garden originally constructed for a Laeralian duchess
- Duchesse Louise Hospital, founded in 1831, the oldest hospital in Laeral still in operation, which hosts a world-renowned center for orthopedics
- Althea Cathedral, the largest and grandest Catholic cathedral in Laeral, rebuilt after structural damage during the Great War
- The Écurie district, the former stable district near the Summer Court which is today home to nightlife and a red-light district
- Althea City University, Laeral's oldest university and a member of the elite National Open University system
- Casino Row, a national center for gambling-houses
- Palais Lantriac Hotel, a luxury hotel and venue of the 2024 IDU Film Festival