Jardin des rives de la Penfeld, Urban park along Penfeld River in Brest, France

The Jardin des rives de la Penfeld is a landscaped park on the right bank of the Penfeld, in Brest. Mown lawns crossed by pale curved footpaths slope down to the water, with clipped shrub mounds and a cluster of low buildings with red and grey roofs on the upper level. A strip of grass and a low stone wall edge the bank, curving around a small inlet, with dense trees and bushes along the upper edge.

The garden occupies the right bank of the Penfeld, the tidal ria that served as Brest's naval harbour since Colbert founded the arsenal in 1683. The lower lawns and the stone wall along the water follow the river's edge below Recouvrance, on ground left open after the port and shipyard activity of the 20th century. The Clos de la Recouvrance, a memorial plot within the park, recalls the shipbuilding trade that gave the district its name.

The garden's Breton name, Glannoù ar Penfell, refers to the banks of the Penfeld, the tidal river that was long the navy's harbour. The park occupies former military and industrial ground on the river's right bank, so its lawns and paths now stand where shipyard and arsenal activity once took place.

Pale curved footpaths cross the mown lawns on the upper level, while a strip of grass and a low stone wall follow the water below, curving around a small inlet. The slope between the two levels is gentle enough to walk down to the bank. Dense trees and bushes line the upper edge behind the lawns.

The park occupies the right bank of the Penfeld, the tidal river that separates Brest from Guipavas and Recouvrance. Because the Penfeld rises and falls with the tide, the low stone wall along the bank marks the waterline rather than a fixed edge. The inlet it curves around is a small cove cut into the bank.