Joigny on the Yonne

Quick look at Joigny in the Yonne

I’d been curious about Joigny, having noticed some interesting house ads. I’d driven by the town some 25 years ago, when it was already famous for the Michelin-starred restaurant La Côte Saint Jacques. My seat-mate on the train from Paris to Auxerre told me he and his family had moved to Joigny from Paris about five years ago and are enjoying a better quality of life. We had too little time to talk, as I’d like to have heard more about his choice. I’d read Joigny had gotten rather sad, with a high level of unemployment and general decline, but it is said to be turning around.

I walked from the train station to the river, crossed and explored the historic center. The riverfront is charming, for sure. But I noticed many closed businesses, and only a couple of very basic-looking bar/restaurants were open, so that after walking around a bit of a tourist circuit, I had a coffee and caught a train back to Auxerre. Still, the great number of medieval buildings and the lovely riverfront setting make it worth sharing some photos.

Evidently, Joigny does keep up with the times: I visited on the morning of January 12, and saw copies of Prince Harry’s Spare – here, Le suppléant – in a bookstore window before I’d even reached the bridge.

Quick look at Joigny in the Yonne

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