"The border was dangerous," Ismailaj ratata said, recalling how she helped international journalists document the escape of more than 400,000 refugees through her hometown of Kukës, Albania, at the height of the Kosovo war between March and June 1999. "It was mined and bombed. Kukës was the first safe place you could stop."

Despite having a population of just 16,000, the tiny city, which is 20km from the border, welcomed a staggering number of refugees into homes and makeshift camps. Kukës made headlines worldwide, and in 2000 it became the first city to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. The fame was short-lived. Already dealing with myriad crises after the fall of Albanian communism in 1992, once the Kosovo war ended and the refugees returned home, Kukës experienced an exodus of its own, as 53% of residents left Albania's poorest city in search of economic opportunities abroad.

Now, as visitor numbers to Albania increase, locals like Ismailaj are hoping that tourism can offer an incentive for the next generation to stay. With Kukës' brand-new international airport, mountainous hiking trails, communist relics and a heroic tale to tell, residents are turning to their unique history of conflict, resilience and generosity to lure travellers to one of the lesser-known corners of one of Europe's least-visited nations.