La Grand Villa Hardelay Omaha Beach Normandy, Vierville sur Mer Holiday home

The Grand Villa Hardelay
ocean front

A historically protected house right on the beach at Omaha, Normandy, France in the Dog Green sector.  Dog Green beach was portrayed in both movies Saving Private Ryan, and The Longest Day. The house was there on the beach front during the D-Day landings and managed to get through it with only roof damage, quite a bit of damage to the fence and some ammo damage on the walls of the building. The previous owners, the Hardelay's,  a local family, were evacuated from the house by the German's prior to the invasion, and moved temporarily into the village of Vierville. The German's took the roof off and used the rafters for building their bunkers.  Then when the American's came they took the roof tiles.  The roof tiles were eventually returned after the battle. Mr. Hardelay later become the mayor of Vierville and would entertain many famous people at the house during the proceeding years including Mrs. Nancy Reagan.

On the top of the hill to the left side of the first picture was the German position WN70.  WN stands for "Widerstandnest" in German and in English the "Resistance Nest"  At this position the German's had a 75 mm gun in pill box and another 75 mm gun,  4 tobruks with MG's, 2 mortars in concrete emplacements and one 20 mm flak gun.   This position was taken by the American's on the morning of D-Day.

The house was built in approximately 1907 and then with a larger addition and great renovations in approximately 1920  The house is over 4500 sq. ft., it is 4 stories, 9 bedrooms (only 5 are available) with very large public rooms.  It retains the quirky charm of a old French villa but is being thoroughly updated with new plumbing, windows and a state of the art kitchen.  10 - 13 foot ceilings throughout, a grand stairscase, decorated in calm sea colours.

Almost every room in the house has spectacular sea views.