Olle Widell - Askersund´s city guide with a passion för history and culture

He and his wife Margareta moved here in the 1970s, and throughout his career Olle worked as a teacher, sharing his love of languages and history with generations of students. Born in Västergötland, near Kinnekulle, he still enjoys spending his free time at his old family home — now a peaceful summer retreat. With his passion for history and his flair for the stage, Olle is a natural storyteller — and the perfect city guide. Since 2007, he has been leading walking tours through the charming streets of Askersund, collecting countless tales and anecdotes along the way.

On his tours, Olle takes visitors on a journey through time, painting vivid pictures of how the town once looked and how people lived during the 16th and 17th centuries. He encourages guests to use their imagination and picture the narrow alleys as they might have been: clusters of modest houses without modern comforts like lighting, and streets where animals and people lived side by side. Olle also points out traces of the great transformations that took place during Sweden’s Age of Greatness, when Askersund sought to modernize and drew inspiration from larger cities. It was a defining period in the town’s history — a time of new streets and squares, but also of cultural ambition, with the construction and renovation of castles, churches, and other landmarks.

Some of Olle’s tours take visitors off the beaten path to some of Askersund’s hidden gems, such as the courtyards on Norra and Södra Bergen. With the homeowners’ permission, he invites guests to step behind the fences and discover parts of the town that few get to see.

Here, the stories truly come alive, and it’s easy to lose track of time. “I usually tell my guests that I count them at the start of the tour,” Olle says with a grin. “But I never check if anyone slips away — time tends to fly as we wander through town and one story after another comes to light, sparked by the visitors’ own questions.”

Beyond his work as a city guide, Olle is deeply involved in Askersund’s cultural life. He is active in the local branch of the Swedish National Touring Theatre Association, and since 2015 he has also organized trips to Opera på Skäret in northern Bergslagen — taking the opportunity to guide the groups along the way.

For Olle, guiding is a natural extension of his teaching career. He enjoys engaging people and sharing his knowledge in ways that awaken curiosity and interest. Being part of Askersund — with its small-town charm and strong sense of community — is something he treasures deeply. “In Askersund, I’ve found my place on earth,” says Olle. “It’s easy to feel at home here. Everything is close — people, nature, and cultural experiences.” And it’s fair to say that many of Askersund’s residents would agree: Olle himself is one of the driving forces behind the town’s vibrant cultural life.