Salzburg to double central public toilet fee to one euro

Salzburg will double the fee for using seven public toilet facilities in the city centre to one euro from 2027, ORF reported. The charge will apply equally to women and men.

Mayor Bernhard Auinger said the city would not distinguish between genders when setting the fee. Salzburg has 36 toilet facilities in total, but only seven will become chargeable. The other 29 will remain free.

The paid facilities are in the heavily touristed city centre and have recently been renovated. The city council approved the change in December 2025.

Users will be able to pay with coins or a debit card. The fee will apply whether someone uses a urinal or a cubicle.

The decision comes during a wider debate over gender-based toilet charges. The Austrian Ombudsman Board recently called for toilets to be free for both genders.

The debate was triggered by a woman in Vienna who sued the capital over unequal treatment in public toilets. Vienna is examining whether public toilet use should generally become free, but no decision has been made. In some of the city’s facilities, cubicle users pay 50 cents while urinals are free.