Modlivý důl, Religious sanctuary in Svojkov, Czech Republic

Modlivý důl is a pilgrimage site in a wooded sandstone valley on the southwest side of Slavíček hill (538 m) near Svojkov, whose lower end begins in the village. Its rock chapel, cut into the cliff, is a protected cultural monument of the Czech Republic; the surrounding Svojkovské skály towers are used by climbers.

The valley, then called Smolný důl, was named for the charcoal kilns and tar ovens of local charcoal burners. In 1704 a farmhand hung an image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus here; in 1760 the brewer's assistant Metzer of the Svojkov brewery hung a new, consecrated image, and pilgrims began reporting miracles. Countess Cervelliová had a wooden chapel built in 1772, and at the end of the 18th century Countess Alžběta Kinská replaced it with a chapel cut into the rock by mason Josef Sacher of Svojkov.

The chapel is dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and was remodelled as a Lourdes grotto in 1903 on the order of Countess Kinská. A Stations of the Cross leads from the Svojkov gamekeeper's lodge, and since 2016 copies of the original pictures hang along it. Mass is celebrated here every 1 May to open the Marian month, several times led by Bishop Josef Koukl.

The valley lies between Sloup v Čechách and Svojkov, 12 km northeast of Česká Lípa; marked trails run through it, including the red E10 long-distance route and the 11 km trail 3953 from Zákupy. A marked spur leads up to the 538 m summit of Slavíček, and the sandstone towers of the Svojkovské skály above the valley are used by climbers.

The valley owes its name to charcoal makers who once produced coal and tar for wheel grease in this location. This craft tradition shaped the land long before it became a religious pilgrimage site.