The special nature reserve "Stari Begej – Carska Bara" is located 17 km south of Zrenjanin and about 2 km from the main Zrenjanin–Belgrade road, and covers an area of about 1,600 hectares. The Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne and victim of the Sarajevo assassination, Franz Ferdinand, liked to hunt in the area of this pond, hence the name Carska ("Imperial"). The special natural value of the complex formed by Carska Bara and the abandoned course of the River Bega lies in its mosaic of aquatic, meadow and forest vegetation and in the diversity of its animal species, among which the richness of the bird life – the ornithofauna – occupies a central place. More than 200 bird species have been recorded in the Carska Bara area, among them real rarities – specimens of endangered species of herons, cormorants, grebes, ducks and others. The wetland vegetation of the area consists of interesting plant species, now rare and endangered, such as white and yellow water lilies or marsh orchids, while the area around the pond is overgrown with long-established willow and poplar plantations.
Carska Bara was placed under protection as a natural area for scientific research. Hunting and fishing tourism is developed in the vicinity of the pond. The tourist offer of Carska Bara also includes the hire of a boat for viewing the pond and its picturesque shores (with a capacity of 50 seats), and the pond itself is surrounded by several kilometres of forest trails intended for nature lovers.