Mostly water and forest, this region has some of the most attractive and quintessentially Finnish scenery in the country. More than 10 000 years ago, the ice sheet covering Finland created a highly complex landscape of lakes, ridges and rocky outcrops, so characteristic of the centre and east of the country. Boat trips allow visitors to get a better idea of this region, constituting the heart of Finland. The biggest lakes are Päijänne and Saimaa, linked by waterways to most of the smaller lakes.