The isle of Sazan is a half-hour boat ride from central mainland Albania and is shrouded in a ghostly legacy. The island, where the Adriatic and Ionian seas meet between Italy and Albania was once home to a Soviet military base and chemical weapons facility. The island was once equipped to withstand a nuclear attack will now receive tourists who will arrive to explore the tunnels, trenches and thousands of concrete bunkers dotting the hills as well as crumbling buildings. Brimming with a lush biodiversity, the isle has both history and natural beauty to offer visitors — apart from its dour Stalinist building legacy.

The island has a rich history dating back to ancient Greece, however. it became an enigma after the Italians won ownership after the 1910s. Used by Italy as a base until communists took over after WWII, the Soviet Union later signed  an agreement with Hoxha’s Albania to build a naval base. The Soviets canceled Albania’s debt in exchange for the use of the island until 1947. Once described as the “Soviet Union’s Gibraltar”, the island that was once home to 3,000 troops was declared a protected park in 2010 and is now guarded by two sailors charged with watching for contraband trade between Italy and Albania.

Albania’s National Coastal Agency revealed plans to open the former base as a tourist attraction this summer.