It is a peak easily accessible thanks to well-maintained, marked trails. It is a favorite mountain of hikers in the western part of the High Tatras. Kriváň has also been an important symbol of Slovak ethnic and national activism over the last two centuries. It has been referenced in art from 19th-century literature, through paintings, and documentaries, to Polish rock bands. In 2005, a nationwide vote selected it as an element on Slovak euro coins (1, 2, and 5 cent coins). The first VIP to reach the summit was the 43-year-old King of Saxony, Frederick Augustus II, in 1840.
