A steam turbine (10), especially for the high-pressure range or intermediate-pressure range, includes a rotor (11) which is rotatably mounted around an axis and concentrically enclosed at a distance by an inner casing (12), wherein between the rotor (11) and the inner casing (12) a flow passage (13) is formed, which on the inlet side is axially delimited by a balance piston (18) which is arranged on the rotor (11), and into which flow passage rotor blades (15) and stator blades (17), alternating in the direction of flow, radially project, and wherein, at the entry of the flow passage (13), an inlet scroll (14), through which steam is guided from the outside radially inwards and deflected in a deflection region (27) in the axial direction to the inlet of the flow passage (13), is formed on the inner casing (12). A reduction of the thermal loads and stresses is achieved by a stress-relief slot (20) in the deflection region (27) upstream of the first rotor blade row (15) for reducing stresses in the fastening slot (16) of the first rotor blade row (15) in the rotor (11), and by a heat shield (21) arranged in the region of the stress-relief slot (20) for protecting the rotor (11) against high temperatures.