The direct access to the castle was built in the form of a zwinger in front of the gateway whose walls are still 4 metres (13 ft) high today.

There is an information board at the entrance to the castle site, although there is a risk of collapse or falling due to the state of the ruined walls and the steep hillsides.

When the male line of the Homburgs died out in 1409 the castle and all its chattels were transferred to the Welf dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg.

As a result of financial difficulties, they enfeoffed the castle in 1433 to Bishop Magnus of the Bishopric of Hildesheim, who sublet it to: When in 1515 Burchard von Saldern and his two brothers took over the castle and Amt of Lauenstein from their father, Heinrich, the Hildesheim bishop terminated the contract.

After a failed attack on the castle, Burchard von Saldern burned Lauenstein down in revenge and nailed a notice of feud to the castle gate with the words: Borchert von Salder do bekand; dat ick hebbe jedan dußen Brand; dat bekenne ick mit meiner Hand.

The dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg captured the castle back in 1521 and reinstated Burchard von Saldern to the Amt.

In 1635, during the Thirty Years' War, the village of Lauenstein was invaded by imperial troops under Tilly and suffered much damage.

In the mid-19th century a small observation tower was built on the highest point of the castle hill – it has since fallen into disrepair.