The story of UGO Birtok starts with my father, named Babos Béla, who spent his unforgettable childhood in Halászi, Dunasor Street. Although the life drifted him far from his hometown he never forgot where he came from.

He was still young when he dreamed about a restaurant and boarding house in the place of a pit on the former highway no. 1, near the Austrian border, near the village of Levél. His dreams were realized with long, persistent and humble work. In 1981, he and my mother (Erzsike) opened Kerék Fogadó (The Wheel Inn), which was the second private restaurant in the country. The idea was successful and many new experiences began. My parents continuously expanded the inn. A swimming pool, a tennis court, a garden lake teeming with fish and an island, as well as a riding stable, a bowling and soccer field were also built besides and next to the restaurant.

He loved Levél village though he always missed his childhood friends. After his success in hospitality, he was looking for even deeper for his roots, feeling a special attraction for the motherland and the created world. He longed to return to his native village, so in the early 90’s he bought the pasture called ‘úgó’ at the border of the village. The uncared-for area became again the site of construction and creation and on the former pasture on the banks of the Moson-Danube was ‘Babos’ manor containing a stable, a lake, a soccer field, and several guesthouses erected. He framed the area with forest, cleaned the beautiful lake created in the manor and landscaped the area. He created a small settlement of detached houses near Babos manor, which has become the most beautifully designed part of the village. He has planted tens of thousands of trees in Szigetköz at his own expense. For the carrying out, he prayed to God for health, strength and spirit and out of gratitude for his prayers having been answered he has had a chapel named after St. Elizabeth built in the manor.

He created the New by building over the Old, always in the light of traditions. He taught children the love of horses and it was through his sponsoring that the society for the preservation of traditions revived the traditions of banderial army. At one time, 9 out of 10 horses in the mounted battalion came from the stud of Babos manor.

His family members enthusiastically participated in the operation and beautification of the manor, so in 2017 my father could safely pass the baton on to the next generation.

He was waiting with joy and curiosity to see how his daughter Betti and her husband, Krisztián, would continue to develop the family estate. He was curious about every plan, wanted to know about everything, helped a lot in the development of the estate with his suggestions and advice. He was filled with pride and relief that his grandchildren, Bettike and Krisztián are also seriously preparing themselves to lead the manor.

In the meantime, Babos manor has been transformed into UGO Estate but our goal is to carry on the good reputation of this beautiful region and of our prosperous small holding therein, with all respect to the traditions and by taking care of my father’s heritage.

But why is it called UGO?

This was the name of the pasture in Halászi, which everyone here knows as úgó. The area where the UGO Birtok is now located used to be a pasture for the cow herd of the village. It is located in the northern part of the village and was probably named after the ceaseless roaring, booming [in Hungarian: zúgó] sound of the north wind blowing between the Alps and the Carpathians.

We wish you a pleasant time!

Babos Bernadett and her family