There has been a fortified hill in Lieto (“Liedon Vanhalinna”) from the prehistoric age. According to excavations, the castle has been in use in the Late Bronze Age (1500-500 BC), in Middle Iron Age (500-700 AD, contested) and in the Middle Ages up to the end of the 14th century, when it was replaced by the "new castle" in Turku harbour.
During the first crusade (ca. 1155) to Finland Swedish army fought heavy battles against pagan Finnish people to conquer Lieto castle hill. After the victory Swedish fortified hill with stone and brick walls to defence the new city of Turku and christianity against Finnish and Novgorodians. There were several buildings, outer walls and a watch tower in the hill. When the Turku castle was completed Lieto castle lost the military value and was left to decay. The latest record of the existing castle date from the year 1438.
In the 1956 private landowners donated Lieto hill to the University of Turku, which has used hill for the archeological training. Nowadays there are some few ruins left of castle walls and buildings.
The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.
The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.
The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.
The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.