Jyväskylä is located in the Finnish Lakeland. There are even 328 lakes in the city. Lakes and rivers constitute 20,1% (295 km) of the total area of the city. Biggest lakes are Päijänne, Leppävesi, Tuomiojärvi, Palokkajärvi, Luonetjärvi and Alvajärvi-Korttajärvi. The city centre is located on the shores of a small Jyväsjärvi.
The landscape in Jyväskylä is hilly, forested and full of waters. The architect Alvar Aalto compared the hilly landscape of Jyväskylä to Toscana in Italy: "The slope of Jyväskylä ridge is almost like the mountain vineyards of Fiesole"
