I could easily fill any list with just LOTRO zones, but I'll diversify a bit.

5) Steamfont Mountains, EQ2 - loved the look, and the music was well done too.

4) Omishan, AC2 - The Deru Tree, the dank swamps, the Cathedral above "Burun Beach"

3) Zorai Jungles, Ryzom - The massive trees, the wandering herds of beasts, the little pools with waterfalls

2) Elysium, Anarchy Online - Right out of a Roger Dean painting, the rotating vortex in the sky, the excellent music, the fusion of ruined high-tech with fantasy-esque creatures

1) Trollshaws in LOTRO - the gorgeous fall colours, the mixture of narrow trails and more open areas, the whole sub-area of Rivendell with that long switchback into the valley

From EQ

Greater Faydark & the Dark Elf  starting area sorry been long time don't remember all of them anymore. lol I like the areas around Qeynos too. Kithicor was a zone I hated with a passion as many did. I did like the halfling area a bit though.

WoW

Eversong Woods is absolutely beautiful and the city of Silvermoon awesome

Azuremyst Isle holds beauty and really fun quest for a starting area.

Mulgore is a zone of beauty and the quest aren't too bad either.

Westfall was to me horrible. I did it because of factions or getting the quest for DM/VC  but I really disliked that zone.

Elwynn Forrest is a beautiful are zone. Wasn't real fond of the quest but not too bad I guess.

Nagrand, Grizzly Hills, Sholazar Basin, and Howling Fjord are some of my favorite zone in WotLK. They all hold great fun and danger, but for beauty and fun with the dangers those are my favorites.

Atlantica has many beautiful areas but really lack the feeling of reality since it is lacking npc flow for areas, cities and towns. If you have played it you would understand.

Shaiya has many beautiful areas and the towns and cities are populated with npc and you get the feel of reality. The quests are few though and the pvp kinda sucked when I last played it.

4 of my top 5 are in FFXI.  Probably 18 of my top 20 are in FFXI.  There is one in AoC that I can't remember the name of where a massive river flows into some different waterfalls, and a cliff juts up from the water with rope bridges everywhere.  Man that zone was amazing.

WoW zones aren't good imo.  I didn't like any of them.  Westfall was probably the best though so i'll give you that.

To understand the OP and to understand why Westfall is at number 1, you have to have played WOW right from the start, right after beta.

I know exactally what you mean about seeing duskwood for the first time. I was a lv 14 mage and I was sooo used to the quiet calm of westfall. I remember questing quietly with a friend I had made and as I was turning in a quest, 5 level ?? horde attacking the npc's in westfall, reinforcments where called for over the general channel, i just stood there watching them with a wide open mouth thinking, "what can I do to help???". The higher levels then arrived and chased them into duskwood and I followed not nowing where I was going or what i was even thinking???. I didnt even know Duskwood existed!! Duskwood was spooky and creepy with scary trees and creepy music. It had monsters all level ?? and I didnt even understand what that ment untill one of them killed me. I resurected in the grave yard close to Darkshire and I couldnt be bothered running back so i just ressed at the graveyard and, bang, i was in the middle of nowhere in an open PVP zone with a massive pvp battle going on in front of me, it was amazing to watch, then I saw some big fat level ?? orc come running towards me, then bang, i was dead. My heart was racing i was scared and shocked and amazed all at the same time, I had my first experience at PVP, I saw my first epic pvp battle and I will never forget it, hence why duskwood and westfall are my fav two zones ever!!

other zones I liked where Omni 1 Entertainment in Anarchy Online, i used to run around thinking "where is everyone?" and then i saw hundreds of people grouped outside the Bronto burger stand. The backyards in AO where my first starting area at a proper MMO and i will never forget them

I'm kind of biased, but my list is best :P

5. Blackrock Mountain - World of Warcraft (including Ragnaros)

This was my first epic raid in World of Warcraft.  The scripting, fire, and dwarves make it so great to revisit.  Although today, Any level 80 can run in and solo it all :(  And lest we forget, LEEEROOOOOOOOY Jenkins! (feel free to smack me lol)

4. Ifrit's Cauldron - Final Fantasy 11

There's just something about fire that gets my attention.  I can remember like it happened  2 minutes ago, the excitement I got after downing Ash Dragon and other NMs in this zone.

3. My Farmville Farm - Farmville

Yeah, I know it's not a MMORPG...or is it! (you get an avatar and can visit millions of farms...)  I've spent so many hours tending to my crops, animals, and building my house, it just has to be on my list.

2. Onyxia's Lair - World of Warcraft

One of the most memorable encounters I've ever had in any MMO.  And it's still funny to watch the "More DOTs!" video.

1. Frontiers - Dark Age of Camelot

I can't imagine a list of favorite zones without this zone.  It is by far the most memorable for anyone that spent time in it!  I guess you could argue that calling Frontiers as a whole is a very huge area to consider a zone, instead of just picking emain, but I have so many memories of long-houred seiges in all of frontiers, it would take up my top 5 spots.

Honorable Mentions:

-Any zone in Lotro-

Like Bill said, it's not fair to put any of these zones on my list.  They're all so beautiful, other than the Frontiers zones, it'd be all over my top 5.

-Any zone in AoC-

Just like Lotro, the graphics of the zones in this game are amazing.  Running around and comming up on a waterfall that isn't all pixelated just brings a tear to my eye.

-Any zone in any Resident Evil game ever-

I still have nightmares of zombie dogs trying to kill me.  I think I should get some compensation for pain and suffering lol. It's not a MMO, but it's worth mentioning.

-Jeel from Dransik/Ashen Empires-

When I first started this game, this was the place to be.  Everyone and thier mother gathered here to tradeskill, goof off, or make parties.  So many memories!

-Barrens from World of Warcraft-

I know what you're thinking, but I've had so many laughs listening to Barrens Chat.

-Jeuno from Final Fantasy 11-

I spent so many hours here.  Meeting up with friends and linkshell members, finding parties, or just hanging out.

"This isn’t MMORPG’s definitive list of the Best Zones Ever, but rather just a collection of some of my own most memorable"

Most  memorable ? Kithicor Forrest, EQ. Even 10 years later I still remember very well how this zone scared the shit out of me at night time. Zones like that are not made anymore. ;)

This is awesome, I made an account on mmorpg.com just now JUST so I could say... I FREQUENTLY re-download this game (WoW) just to go visit westfall =]

Westfall is and always has been my favorite zone, because I like the harvest feel to it. I like the way the moon looks and the stars look there at night. I like the wheat fields, and the winding trails. Even the coastline with the lighthouse, and that one woman's house that's nestled way back in the corner of westfall.

A++ zone, nostalgia through the roof. Another couple of great zones from WoW... Redridge Mountains/Lakeshire, Azshara, Stonetalon mts.

Call me odd, but I really enjoyed Vex Thal in Everquest back when it was a current raid zone.

Other zones I have really enjoyed include Nektrops Castle in EQ2, Droga in EQ1, Baubleshire in EQ2, and the Hollows in CoH (before they revamped it.)

Yay for the Westfall love! I always thought I was totally alone in my nostalgic appreciation of that place (at least according to my guildies). It has a wonderfully sad/melancholy feel to it with a slightly sinister undertone. The music is also absolutely fantastic at conveying that feeling. I remember the first time I stepped into the Deadmines alone with the music suddenly changing and mist enveloping the screen thinking "er... maybe this wasn't such a good idea..."

Stendel's pond always intrigued me, too. It's little details like that that Blizzard do so well and make WoW so memorable despite its flaws.

In no particular order:

Guild wars - Kaineng city. Labyrinth of narrow streets and plazas.Loved every minute of it.

Guild Wars - Jade sea. Simply gorgeous.

FF XI - North and South Gustaberg. Especially at night. The music, the feeling of solitude.

Lineage 2 - Talking island. There was something special about this starting zone.

Ryzom - The Lakes. One of the best looking area in any game ever imo.

Notice  all of the starter zones and add in that almost all writers for MMO fansites are the most casual of casual players and know almost nothing about the games they write about.  Looking at his zones and the lack of work and progression to play there and it may explain the writers previous story about his favorite 10 P2P MMO's.  Nothing against this writer persanally.   He is probably a great guy.  Casual players should have an opinion as well. But the sad thing is almost all fanistes are plagued by almost all reviews and stories being centered around low level gameplay because these writers never actually play the games longer than a few hours.   Starter zones my god. 

Its a problem with almost all fansites where companies are moree concerned with flashy headlines and page hits than substance and information.  MMORPG.COM argually has a higher level of quality than most MMO fansites like Ten Ton hammer which emphasize writer quotas, page hits and quantity over substance.  But it's not saying much.   Sadly the MMO fansite industry is a joke.

Age of Conan - Eiglophian Mountains was one of the best zones I have ever saw in a MMO.

In no particular order:

Blackburrow

Mt. Bloodhorn

Darkness Falls

The island that The Black Watch took over as the base of their empire in Shadowbane.

Tortage

Two non MMO encounters that took the cake for me:

The temple trap in pool of radiance that has you surrounded by like 500 orcs.

Opening the door to the butchers room seeing the meat slabs all over the room and having this huge thing book at you with a meat cleaver grumbling "fresh meat"

Originally posted by Zippy

Notice  all of the starter zones and add in that almost all writers for MMO fansites are the most casual of casual players and know almost nothing about the games they write about.  Looking at his zones and the lack of work and progression to play there and it may explain the writers previous story about his favorite 10 P2P MMO's.  Nothing against this writer persanally.   He is probably a great guy.  Casual players should have an opinion as well. But the sad thing is almost all fanistes are plagued by almost all reviews and stories being centered around low level gameplay because these writers never actually play the games longer than a few hours.   Starter zones my god. 

Its a problem with almost all fansites where companies are moree concerned with flashy headlines and page hits than substance and information.  MMORPG.COM argually has a higher level of quality than most MMO fansites like Ten Ton hammer which emphasize writer quotas, page hits and quantity over substance.  But it's not saying much.   Sadly the MMO fansite industry is a joke.

 

 Or could it be that developers spend most of their time and effort on the starting zones?

Originally posted by Nightbringe1

Call me odd, but I really enjoyed Vex Thal in Everquest back when it was a current raid zone.

Other zones I have really enjoyed include Nektrops Castle in EQ2, Droga in EQ1, Baubleshire in EQ2, and the Hollows in CoH (before they revamped it.)

I liked Droga, as well. Can't say I liked VT, though. Mobs had like a billion HP. Far too tedious for my taste.

nice little video on the shire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISgPqO50aaw

The dunes!

Vanguard has ruined zones for me. Things like the enterance to POTA, the pyramids in southern Qalia, Leth Nurae (best elf town ever), are so breathtaking. I wish that game still had a future, just thinking about the environments makes me wanna resub.

Originally posted by bobfish

My favorite would probably be Connell's Valley in Age of Conan, when you round that first corner and come to the waterfall looking not only down into the valley but also into the distance where it rises back up into the mountains. A truely breath-taking view and I've not seen any vista to beat that in all my years of gaming. Then you get down into the valley and start cracking skulls in true Conan fashion, the whole experience is just fantastic.

and the music, dont forget the song for that zone.

every zone in AoC was great though, there is no other game where i just stop and watch the view.

EQ1 : Greater Faydark , Such amazing haunting music , i spent alot of time there when i started playing eq even after i outgrew the place.

EQ1 : Crushbone , Home to the mighty orcs , at least for a char under level 10 ,  fantastic place that still holds many great memorys for me.

EQ1 : Kithicor woods , much terror trying not to get killed in the night when the undead spawned.

WoW : Ashenvale , i had some amazing times in this zone , mainly with my hunter ambushing players on the long path.

DaOC : Darkness falls , i agree with a previous poster this place was great fun especially when you was trapped in there when another realm took the place , i had some good fun in here with my scout on many occasions.