During the reign of the Árpád dynasty, there were three villages on the peninsula, two of which, Újlak and Apáti were destroyed in the Ottoman times. The only mementos of these are the church ruins of Újlak and Apáti

As the abbey owned multiple lands on the southern bank of the lake, easy access to these was vital. This was the era when the two ferry villages were developed: Újlak at the southern end of the peninsula, near to where the ferry is located today; and on the Szántódpuszta at the other side of the lake. Though ferry traffic was not regular during these times it still needed constant presence. The boat could be boarded easily from the peninsula as it spent most of the time waiting there, but crossing from Szántó was more difficult. Travelers from the southern bank had look for the ferryman who used smoke signs to communicate that there are passengers waiting.

Besides the ferrymen and fishermen, the people of Újlak were mostly soldiers who were sent here to protect the crossing. As the numbers of soldiers were growing, the settlement soon needed its own church.

The Romanesque and Gothic style church built in the 12-13th century was first mentioned in 1267 by a papal bull which mention it as a chapel dedicated to Saint Margit. The church with a rectangular plan had a nave that was wider than the chancel which is the only part of the building remaining. Another interesting aspect is that the building is not facing east but rather north which is very rare among churches of this era and region.

The small church can be accessed easily on foot through Club Tihany. The forest path begins at the other end of the holiday complex and leads directly to the ruins.