Through the free imperial barony of Pietersheim and the county of Rekem

The Cabinet map of the Austrian Netherlands shows the territory that Count de Ferraris crossed at the end of the 18th century to lead his teams of military surveyors. De Ferraris traveled from Brussels to Vienna to present his map to the imperial court. In Brussels, he was a military nobleman, but in Vienna, he had to bow to the emperor and empress. His power position changed at the crossing of the Meuse near Maastricht, where the Austrian Netherlands transitioned into state territory. Just before the Meuse lay the free imperial barony of Pietersheim and the county of Rekem, where De Ferraris spent the night. This walk takes you through 18th-century landscapes and places, following in the footsteps of Count de Ferraris. His cabinet map was a snapshot: Pietersheim, Hocht, Neerharen, and Rekem were recovering from the War of the Austrian Succession. Military leaders and nobles retreated to castles and held hunting parties, while villagers worked the land. The potato made its entrance, new houses were built, and the land rod of Rekem was laid in the church floor. Of course, the walking route also goes through more recent landscapes because after De Ferraris, the landscape took on a completely new appearance: heathland was afforested, canals and roads were constructed.