A recent study conducted by the British company Showers to You, cited by Heute, analyzed over 19,000 Google reviews for more than 1,400 public toilets across 44 European cities. The results placed Bucharest among the top 10 cities with the cleanest public toilets in Europe, a surprisingly strong position for the Romanian capital.

The analysis examined the language used in reviews, identifying terms such as “dirty,” “disgusting,” “unsanitary,” or “foul-smelling” to calculate a score from 0 (dirtiest) to 10 (cleanest).

Top 10 European cities with the dirtiest public toilets

According to the study, some of the most visited and influential European capitals received extremely low scores:

1. Brussels, Belgium – 0.29
2. Stockholm, Sweden – 0.59
3. Riga, Latvia – 0.88
4. Valletta, Malta – 1.18
5. Berlin, Germany – 1.47
6. Paris, France – 1.76
7. Oslo, Norway – 2.06
8. Amsterdam, Netherlands – 2.35
9. Madrid, Spain – 2.65
10. Rome, Italy – 2.94

User reviews from these cities frequently mention a “disgusting smell,” “damaged facilities,” poor hygiene or inadequate maintenance—reasons why many people avoid these public toilets altogether.

Top 10 European cities with the cleanest public toilets

At the opposite end, the study highlights cities that invest significantly in public sanitation infrastructure. Bucharest is among them:

1. Vilnius, Lithuania – 9.71
2. Vaduz, Liechtenstein – 9.41
3. Ljubljana, Slovenia – 9.12
4. Luxembourg, Luxembourg – 8.82
5. Helsinki, Finland – 8.53
6. Bratislava, Slovakia – 8.24
7. Istanbul, Türkiye – 7.94
8. Zagreb, Croatia – 7.65
9. Bucharest, Romania – 7.35
10. Lisbon, Portugal – 7.06

Romania’s capital thus finds itself among cities known for high urban standards, surpassing capitals like Lisbon, Vienna, Prague, or Berlin in this category.

Why these rankings matter

Public toilets are a vital component of a city’s infrastructure, directly influencing:

• the quality of life of residents,
• the city’s image among tourists,
• the comfort of elderly people, parents with small children, and individuals with health issues.

A city with clean public facilities reflects respect, organization, and care for the community.

The Showers to You study notes that some results may be affected by a small number of negative reviews, but the overall picture remains relevant: there are significant differences between European capitals in terms of public sanitation quality.

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Bucharest – a remarkable position in Europe

With a score of 7.35, Bucharest exceeds expectations and ranks among the 10 cleanest European cities regarding public toilet hygiene. Given that several major European capitals appear in the opposite ranking, Romania’s position is especially noteworthy.

This performance shows that, at least when it comes to public sanitation infrastructure, Bucharest is gradually aligning with European standards—an important aspect for urban development and the city’s perception among visitors.