Toilets defaced

“Simply unpleasant to go to the loo”

As a resident of Itzlingen, Alexander Peterlik is calling on politicians to take action.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

The Rauchenbichl playground in Itzling is wonderful, but the toilet is a mess.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Some disgusting toilets annoy the people of Salzburg. There are always complaints about disfigured toilets. Not much has been done yet, but at least toilets without a sewer connection are already being used in a test phase.

The Google rating for the Rauchenbichl playground in Itzling is actually great: 4.6 stars. Spinning toys, swings, slides, sandpit and ropeway: a gem for children and parents. But the playground has one drawback: the toilet is only worth one star.

Sprayed with graffiti, the doors are unstable and it is dark through the spray-painted windows. Alexander Peterlik enjoys going to the playground with his child. But: "Some of the children are afraid to go to the toilet there. As a resident of Itzlingen, I would simply like to see some upgrading. The substance is basically ok, but it's very unpleasant for women in particular when there are unstable doors."

A political issue for a long time
The list of complaints about public toilets with defects is long. At Glanspitz, there is a construction site toilet behind a shed. There are disgusting toilets at Salzachsee. There is a lack of accessibility and cleanliness in the old town. Public toilets were a constant topic in the 2024 mayoral election campaign.

What is the situation six months after the election? Anna Schiester, then city councillor for construction, says: "There is still a need for expansion. The toilets are a good solution, but we also need to think about more toilets in the old town. The main issue there is accessibility." Not much has been done in the ongoing debate about public toilets and disfigured toilet facilities.

Sebastian Lankes, SPÖ municipal representative, has now taken Alexander Peterlik's Rauchenbichl complaint to heart: He has submitted a request for immediate, extensive refurbishment. The ball is now in the court of the responsible deputy mayor, Kay-Michael Dankl (KPÖ). Since the election, he has already sent seven new ecclesiastical buildings into a test phase - these do not require a sewer connection.