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.
