A high-pressure discharge lamp, in particular a mercury-free high-pressure discharge lamp for a vehicle headlight, has a lamp base (1) and an axially symmetrical discharge vessel (30), in whose discharge space (300) an ionizable filling, containing metal halides, and electrodes (31, 32) are arranged for producing a gas discharge. The discharge vessel (30) is provided with transparent, partial frosting (37), which is limited to a section of the inside or outside of the discharge vessel (30) extending over part of the discharge vessel circumference, this section having a well-defined position with respect to the lamp base (1). Moreover, a simple production method is proposed for partial frosting (37) which is preferably arranged on the inside of the discharge vessel (30).