Alytus mound is the only preserved witness of the foundation of the town and it dates probaly from the 11th century. It is said that a wooden castle was standing here in the 14th century that was burnt down later by the Teutonic Order. The detailed route to Alytus castle is described in Teutonic “The Description of Lithuanian Roads”, this castle defended the main roads to Trakai and Vilnius from crusaders.
An impressive panorama of the town opens from the mound, while its foot is decorated by an exposition of sculptures “Ancestors of Alytus Mound”.
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.