In the market for a country retreat just 30 minutes from Minneapolis?

This $3.295 million property in Medina, which hit the market last week, sits on almost 25 acres of land and includes a seven-stall heated barn, caretaker apartment, large storage building and an inground pool.

The house also overlooks private-access School Lake and is less than 1 mile from Baker Park Reserve, a 2,700-acre preserve with trails, golf courses, camping and beach areas.

"It's really great for outdoor activities of any kind. You get the nature and the peace and the quiet, yet you're still close to home," said Patty Napier, real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Burnet.

The 7,000-square-foot, cottage-style home, built in 1988, features vaulted ceilings, new hardwood floors and stone fireplaces. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the rolling pastures and gardens, and the two-tier deck is perfect for admiring the sunset views.

One desirable feature of the home is all the main-level living space, said Napier. The master suite wing, entertaining rooms, dining spaces, exercise room and library are all on the first floor. The lower level includes another three bedrooms, a recreation room and a sauna.

Horse estate in Hamel

The property, "Camp Piper," requires help to maintain, said owner Cindy Piper, who has lived there for nine years with her husband. But it's not overwhelming — you just have to be comfortabte with tractors, she said.

"We had lived four doors down for 25 years, but I missed having my horses," she said. "I've always lived on a farm … I wanted to go back to that."

The property's heated barn is adjacent to a large outdoor riding arena and a caretaker apartment. The fenced land and surrounding area are perfect for riding — the Piper family used to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood on horseback, she said.

But the secluded estate isn't just for horse-lovers. The next owners can bike the nearby trails, watch swans and white pelicans from the deck or swim in the pool. Want to get out into the community? Downtown Wayzata's shops and restaurants are just 10 minutes away.

Piper and her husband are downsizing, but if she could, she would duplicate almost everything from the house, minus the square footage.

"It's a big place, and it's time for someone to come enjoy all of it," Piper said.

Patty Napier, 612-860-3603, and Carrie Fleischhacker, 612-803-1111, Coldwell Banker Burnet Realty, have the listing.

Audrey Kennedy (audrey.kennedy@startribune.com) is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune.